MATED TO SERIES COLLECTION

89. LARA: MEMORIES

"If you could change one thing about the past, what would it be?"

Ethan stared at me for a few seconds before he turned onto his back to stare up at the ceiling. I knew he was thinking carefully about what I had asked him. It was a good question and I was curious to know what his answer was going to be. I had no clue why I had asked him that.

He groaned and reached up to run a hand down his face. Swallowing, I shifted closer and placed my hand on his lower stomach. My fingers traced his skin and slowly moved lower to trace the deep v that led down to his growing length. Ethan's hand shot out to grip my wrist before I could wrap my fingers around him.

"You need to rest, Lara," he said softly. "No more."

I pouted up at him. "I'm fine."

Ethan stared down at me with narrowed eyes. He raised my hand and placed it on his upper chest before covering it with his own. I sighed and shifted to rest my head on his chest right beneath his chin.

"I guess if I could change anything it would be starting a relationship with Avery. I hated that she ruined the relationship between Silas and me."

"What do you mean she ruined it? Because you both were thinking of mating her?"

He was silent for a while before he answered. "Yes partly. It was mostly how she tried to tear us apart by the lies she told. With how things were with my parents it made Silas more vulnerable. He ate it up with a silver spoon."

I sat up and frowned down at him. More vulnerable? Silas was anything but vulnerable. He was stubborn and a fighter and a damn asshole at times but he was not a vulnerable man. Was he? Ethan didn't know what he was talking about.

"I don't understand."

Ethan smiled at me and reached up to grip the back of my neck. He tugged me down until I our lips hovered only inches apart. My eyes dropped to his lips for a few seconds before darting up to his eyes. I smiled and shifted so I could throw my leg over his hip to straddle him. Ethan instantly gripped my hip and pushed me upwards so I could sit on his lower stomach.

His eyes darted over my face. "You're nothing like her," he whispered. "You won't ever try to turn as against each other. You're better than her."

Ethan cupped my cheeks and tugged my lips down to his. He pressed a kiss to my lips and gave me a small smile.

"I love you, my beauty."

***

I jerked awake with a gasp and tears streaming down my cheeks. My body trembled and my hands clutched the pillows tightly. I had no idea why a dream would affect me so much. But it wasn't a dream, no it was a memory. A bittersweet memory that was slowly starting to fade. I tried to grasp onto it but before I could, it was already gone.

A sob fell from my lips. I turned my head to press my face into the pillow so I could silence my cries, not that it should've mattered, because when my tears died down and I glanced over my shoulder, Silas wasn't there. The sheets were cold and there was no sign of him ever having sleeping next to me.

Getting out of bed, I entered the bathroom to wash my face before I went in search of him. I didn't have to search long to find him. Silas sat behind the desk in his fathers' study with a glass in his hand and judging by the smell, it was some very strong alcohol.