Page 20 of Forbidden Kiss
I meet her questioning gaze and lay the truth on her. “She’s a Lane.”
“What?”
Leaning back on the sofa, I tell her everything. “Her name is Ava Lane. She’s Christopher Lane’s daughter.”
Her jaw drops as anger flashes through her eyes. It’s a side of Fiona that I’ve seen before, but it’s enough to make me uneasy.
“You’re in bed with a Lane? After everything I told you about our family’s history?” She lets out an exasperated sigh. “Why would you do that, Ethan?”
Seeing my sister pissed is jarring. Part of me wants to laugh at the situation and the other part wants to flee. With a deep breath, I shake my head. “Because I couldn’t resist. I couldn’t stay away from her. She’s… different.”
Fiona’s anger seems to dissipate, and she looks at me with softer eyes. “Oh no, brother.” There’s a hint of sadness in her tone. “You’ve fallen hard for her, haven’t you?”
Her words catch me off guard, the weight of them hanging heavy in the air between us. Uncertain of how to respond, my mind races with memories and deep emotions that I’ve been trying to bury over the past week.
Finally, I muster the courage to meet her gaze and answer honestly. “I have,” I begin, my voice quiet. “But I messed up and now any chance we had together is gone.” I rub the heel of my palm against my chest. “It’s broken.”
She nods, understanding the gravity of my words. “Like Tristan kind of broken?”
At the mention of our brother’s name, my heart sinks. We all know how deeply Tristan hurt when the love of his life walked out on him four years ago. To this day, he still hasn’t fully recovered.
I shake my head. “No. Tristan is the most broken in the family.” My eyes drift away from hers, unable to meet her sympathetic gaze. “What I mean is, I think… I think I love her.”
The admission hangs in the air, terrifying and exhilarating at the same time.
“Hmm.” Fiona pauses briefly before speaking once more. “It sounds like she has knocked you flat on your ass, dear brother.”
A smile tugs at the corners of my mouth. “Possibly.”
“Now, I may not be the best person to give love advice, considering my own romantic life is in shambles.” A sardonic twist takes over her mouth. “But Ethan, if you have found true love, don’t let it slip through your fingers. Follow your heart and fight for her.”
My mind bends with all the complications. “It’s not that simple. There’s something I haven’t told you.”
While waiting for me to continue, Fiona’s expression turns blank.
I deliver the worst part. “Ava’s father screwed us over. He sold us a company that may not even legally belong to us. Ava’s cousin, Jonathan Lane, might be the true owner.”
Fiona’s face contorts with a grimace. “I can’t believe you ignored my warnings and went through with buying that company. Have you reached out to this Jonathan guy?”
I rub the back of my neck. “No, and I don’t plan on it, either.”
“Why not?”
I look at her dead in the eye. “Because I don’t care about the money or her father’s games. We’re billionaires. We can handle any financial hit. All I want is Ava.”
Fiona looks off into space. Turning back to me, she wears a knowing expression. “You need to go after her.”
“But it feels like she wants nothing to do with me.” A heavy shroud surrounds my shoulders and drags me down. Every step forward seems to come with two steps back.
She shrugs and feigns apathy. “In that case, let her go.”
My jaw sets. While my immediate reaction is to protest vehemently, the truth of her words hits me. There’s no chance in hell I’ll ever let Ava go. “No way. She belongs with me.”
My sister smirks and quirks an eyebrow at me. “Ah, there he is. Welcome back, Ethan Wolfe.” Her playful lips pout. “So, what’s your plan?”
“I have to fix things.” Standing up, I pace the room. “I have to make things right between me and Ava.”
Fiona watches me with a wry smile. “Well then, brother, you’d better get started.”