Battle for Love (Bachelor Billionaire #3) (27 page)

“
Why
what?” he asked turning back to face her.

“
Why
would you say that about me?” she asked.

Ethan
could feel everyone standing behind him. The room was silent.

“
You
haven't had anything to do with me since that night. We haven't even
talked. You don't have to feel sorry for me. I understand why you
don't want me. I wouldn't want me either,” she said, confused.

“
What
are you talking about? I thought you needed time and space to think
about everything. It took all I had not to be next to you at night. I
wanted you right there. I wanted you with me. You ignored and avoided
me during the day. I worked out more in those few days than I have in
months. It was driving me crazy that you didn't want to be near me.
It was killing me to have you a few rooms away at night. I needed you
with me. You're not running from me, Julie. I won't let you.”

“
What
do you mean run from you?” she asked.

“
Really?”
he asked.

He
walked toward her and took her hands in his.

“
I'm
going to be with you through all of this. I'm not going anywhere. If
you run, I'm going to keep bringing you back. You're going home with
me tonight,” he said.

“
I
thought you didn't want me anymore. I thought you were disgusted by
me,” she said.

He
pulled her into his arms and looked into her eyes.

“
That
would never happen. You are all I think about. I have tried so hard
to stop thinking about you, but I can't. When you called me that day,
I had to get to you. I had to save you. All I could think about was
how lost I would be without you. I would never have forgiven myself
if anything had happened to you. I know you say that you don't want
to be in a relationship. I know that you don't think you'll be able
to ever trust a man. I know that from my past you don't think I'm
good enough for you. That's not who I am anymore. Since I've been
with you, I haven't even thought about being with anyone else. I love
you, Julie. I am saying it in front of your brother and everyone
else. I will do everything I can to keep you safe. I will spend every
single day showing you how amazing you are. You deserve love. You
deserve to be treated like a princess. I can't deny it anymore. You
have my heart. Please let me love you,” he said with his
forehead against hers.

“
Do
you really want me after everything you know about my past and after
what happened the other day?” she whispered.

“
More
than ever,” he answered. “I have fought my feelings for
you as hard as I possibly could. When you called me, without thinking
twice, I left the airport. That was when I knew you owned my heart.
That was the moment I realized how much I love you. I will never hurt
you, and I will always protect you.”

Ethan
could see tears escape the corner of her eyes.

“
Why
are you crying?” he asked, as he wiped her tears.

“
Because
I love you too,” she said with a tiny smile.

She
wrapped her arms around his neck and brought his mouth to hers. He
hugged her and whispered in her ear.

“
I
love you, baby. Is your brother okay? I don't know if I want to look
at him.”

Julie
laughed and looked up at Gavin.

“
I'm
not sure.”

“
I'm
trying to say this as calmly as I can, but someone needs to start
talking soon. My best friend just told my little sister he loved her.
She kissed him. He has a broken wrist and black eye. She looks like
something chewed on her wrists. I am inches from losing my damn
mind,” Gavin said as he dropped into a chair.

Ethan
looked into Julie's eyes and sighed.

“
Are
you ready?” he asked.

She
nodded and they both stood up. He leaned back against a counter and
pulled her into his arms with her back to him.

“
How
long has this thing between you two been going on?” Gavin
asked.

“
Since
the day Becky lost the baby,” Julie answered. “We haven't
been together since that day. That was just the day it started. We
have hung out with each other several times since then.”

Ethan
laughed from behind her.

“
Do
you think this is funny Ethan?” Gavin asked.

“
Nope”

“
Oh
shit,” Gavin snapped. “Please tell me those weren't my
little sister's shoes at your house that day.”

Ethan
and Julie both looked at Gavin.

“
Are
you serious? Where was she?” he asked.

“
I
was upstairs,” Julie answered.

Gavin
ran his hands through his hair. Becky walked over to him and put her
hands on his shoulders.

“
At
the hospital, you joked about getting laid,” Gavin said. “It's
taking all I have to sit in this chair, Ethan. I hope you know that.”

“
I
do,” Ethan replied.

“
When
you ran out of the airport and told me I could have the whole deal,
where did you go?” Gavin asked.

Ethan
was silent for a moment.

“
Ethan,”
Gavin snapped.

“
I
went to Julie,” Ethan replied.

“
You
left a deal worth millions to be with my sister?”

“
Yes,
she needed me.”

“
I
have something I need to talk to you about Gavin,” Julie said.
“It's going to be very hard for me to tell you, but I want you
to know. Could you all give us some time?”

“
I'm
not leaving,” Ethan said. “I am going to be here for you
while you tell him.”

John
looked at everyone else.

“
We
need to give them some space. It's going to be a little while.”

He
walked out of the room and everyone else followed.

Ethan
sat with Julie while she told Gavin everything. She told him about
what happened with Jason in the past and what had recently happened.
Gavin patiently listened to everything she told him. He had tears in
his eyes as he looked at Ethan.

“
You
knew that fucker hurt my baby sister and didn't come to me? I don't
understand. You're my best friend.”

“
It's
not what you think. She wouldn't tell me anything at all. I had no
idea what he'd done to her. I just knew that a guy called her and it
freaked her out. She wouldn't talk to me about it. I hired a private
investigator. He had just given me the file and information right
before Lisa went into labor. I had it all with me at the airport. I
was going to read it all and decide what to do and who to involve. I
didn't go behind your back. I hope you can forgive me for that,”
Ethan said sincerely.

Gavin
looked back to Julie. He cried with her and told her how sorry he was
for not being there for her. She let him know that it wasn't his
fault. He had no way of knowing. Gavin promised her that he would be
there every moment. They all would. She told him that she didn't want
to live in her house anymore. He told her they would have Heath work
on it so they could sell it. Gavin offered for her to move him with
him and Becky. She looked over at Ethan.

“
Did
you mean what you said about me staying with you until I find a new
place?” she asked.

“
Yes,”
he answered. “I want you to be there when I fall asleep each
night and when I wake up each morning. I'm not wasting a single
moment without you. I don't want you to find a new place, Julie. I
want our home to be together. If you don't like the house I have, we
can look for one that we both like.”

Ethan
kept his arms around her. He was afraid to let her go. She turned to
face him as she took his face in her hands and looked into his eyes.

“
I
love your house. You have a pool, hot tub, and balcony from your
room. It looks over your beautiful yard. The house is huge, but it's
yours. I would never want you to move for me. Where would you put
that computer cave of yours?”

They
both laughed.

“
I
told you about that already,” he said with a smile as he kissed
her.

“
Besides,
you know there is no way I would give your kitchen up. That place is
a dream. Everyone better get used to coming to your house for
dinner.”

“
Our
house,” he said. “I can think of a few things I can help
you with in the kitchen.”

Gavin
looked at Ethan and shook his head.

“
She's
still my little sister. Can you please give me some time to adjust?”

“
I'll
try,” Ethan said with a laugh.

“
I
don't know what to say, Ethan. You're my best friend. I never in a
million years thought a woman would get you to change your ways. When
I thought you were with someone, I knew I had to meet her. I can't
believe it was Julie. I'm still trying to figure out how it all
happened without me knowing about it. I haven't decided how I feel
about it yet. The fact that you saved her life will have me forever
in your debt. If you hadn't left the airport, what would have
happened to her?” Gavin asked with a tear in his eye. “I
gave you such a hard time and said some mean stuff. I am so sorry.
Thank you so much for caring enough to see things the rest of us were
missing. I will never forget what you did for her. I feel horrible
that you have a black eye and broken wrist. I should have been there
for her. I'm sorry that I told you I wanted the whole deal for
myself. I didn't mean it. We're still going to be partners on it. I
can't do it without you. I still don't understand how this happened
between you two, but I am so thankful that you were there for her.
You better be good to her. If you ever hurt her, I'll crush your ass.
She'll always be my little sister.”

“
I
know how you feel about my past. I understand your concerns. I don't
know how it happened either. I never meant to go behind your back. It
happened and we decided that it couldn't happen again, but we kept
coming back together. I love your sister. I promise you that I will
never hurt her. I will always protect and love her. I'm sorry we
didn't tell you sooner,” Ethan said.

“
John
knows about what happened to me. He was one of the officers that came
to my house when it happened. I'm not sure how much he knows about
the past. Don't be mad at him. I promised him I would talk to you
this weekend. I think Josh may know something as well. He was not at
my house, but I think someone at the station said something to him.
Neither of us has told him anything. I just wanted you to know that.
They are all my family. I'm fine with you telling them, but I don't
want to do it. They are all going to want to know what happened to
Ethan and to me. I don't want you to keep it from them. If you don't
mind, I want to leave for now,” Julie told Gavin.

“
Are
you sure you don't want to come live with us?” he asked.

“
I'm
sure,” she answered. “I'm going to go play in my new
kitchen.”

“
Just
make sure you leave the television and couches where they are,”
Gavin said. “We count on that space.”

“
Men
and their toys,” she said as she laughed.

Julie
stood up and hugged her brother. Ethan took her hand in his and
walked her to her car.

“
I
love you,” he whispered into her ear. “That feels so good
rolling off my tongue.”

“
I
can think of something else that would feel good on your tongue,”
she said with a wink.