A House of Cards: Deconstructing Ethan Read Online Free

sleep.
    When I woke to the scent of food, my stomach growled. Slowly, I got to my feet and stumbled to the dresser where I found a loose pair of shorts and a t-shirt. After several tries to get them on, I carefully made my way down the stairs, taking even measured steps. Stretching my legs or my arms too far sent a screaming pain through my body. One excruciating step at a time, I made my way down the stairs, leaning heavily on the railing. When I got to the kitchen doorway, I heard voices.
    “…give a damn. We can’t just leave him here.” It was Jayden’s voice and the conviction with which he spoke, made my heart a little lighter. He really did seem to care about me, about what happened to me.
    “What about Connor?” Lexi asked concerned, making me insanely curious as to who Connor was.
    “Our house is certainly big enough for all of us, Lexi. If Connor doesn’t like it, he can move. Is Connor really more important to you than Ethan?” The scorn in Jayden’s voice was laced with anger.
    “Of course not, Jayden, but we have to think this through. We have to consider the possibilities first, not just go off half-cocked.
    What if Ethan doesn’t want to leave? Are you just going to kidnap him?” She replied acidly.
    “What do you think, Nicole, you’ve been his friend longer than either of us,” Jayden asked, apparently ignoring Lexi’s tone.
    “Why don’t you just ask Ethan?” I suggested softly from the door. They all looked up, surprised to see me standing there. Lexi ran to me, hugging me carefully. She pulled back just slightly and put her small hand on my cheek.
    “Ethan, how are you feeling?” She asked, stroking my cheek like I had done hers so many times before.
    “Fabulous,” I said with wry humor. Smirking at me before she became serious again, she looked back at Jayden and he nodded.
    “Ethan, would you come and stay with us for a little while? Please? We love you so much and I can’t stand to see you in pain like this. Maybe a change would help….someplace where you’re not alone.”
    As if seeing them happy and in love was going to help. But, she was right. I needed something, some kind of change. I’d lived through so much worse. I couldn’t let this, whatever it was, get the best of me. When I nodded, she buried her face in my chest, which to my relief, wasn’t painful.
    Jayden grabbed his cell phone and started to dial. After a minute he said, “Connor, it’s Jayden. We’re going to have some furniture delivered to the house. We’re going to be having a guest for a while. Would you have them set it up in that empty room on the third floor? Yes, the one above the playroom. Thanks, Connor.” He finished and then made another call to Josh asking him and Kimberly to pick out a bedroom set and get the room ready.
    “The playroom? Connor is your sub, isn’t he?” I asked Lexi quietly and she nodded. The jealousy, the feeling of betrayal washed through me and the pain of it took my breath away. With sting evident on my face, I pulled away from Lexi. They had a sub. They had both left and in the process, taken my subs away from me, leaving me with nothing. Knowing my feelings were irrational, but completely unable to control them, I turned and headed slowly for the stairs. I no longer wanted to be in the room with them, food or no food.
    “Ethan, please….” Lexi begged and her voice was full of sorrow. “Please, stay and eat with us. You need to eat.”
    “No,” I replied flatly and began the long climb up to the third floor, desperate to hide my jealousy and my pain from them.
    * * *
    I was lying on my bed with my face pushed into a pillow when the door opened and I heard someone enter. I didn’t have the strength to look and see who it was, but from the aroma they brought with them, I knew they had food. Staying still, trying to feign sleep, I hoped they would just leave the food and go but, of course, I wasn’t that lucky. I felt someone stroking my hair and that one