chapter nineteen

​"What do you mean it's our room?" I demanded, my hands flying to my hips. "Get out!"

​I practically screamed the words as I marched closer to the bed, but he just let out a low chuckle, shaking his head at me like a stubborn child.

​"What is up with this behavior of yours?" he asked, pointing a finger at me.

​"What behavior?" I shot back, crossing my arms over my chest and trying my absolute best to act completely nonchalant.

​"Why are you being so rude to me, baby?" he said, his voice dropping into a low, quiet register. He tossed his phone onto the mattress and approached me, his large hands sliding effortlessly around my waist. "What's wrong?" he asked, staring directly into my eyes.

​I instantly jerked my face away from him, refusing to meet his gaze.

​"Don't turn away from me," he said. His voice suddenly held a stern, unyielding ring of authority—a side of him he had never once shown toward me before.

​"Don't shout at me!" I snapped right back, forcing myself to look at him, my eyes blazing with anger.

​Ethan’s hard expression softened instantly. "Easy, love," he murmured, his gaze turning gentle. "I'm sorry. Just tell me what I did wrong?" He leaned in closer, his lips tilting down to try and kiss me, but I twisted my head away again.

​He let out a frustrated sigh, finally releasing his grip on my waist. He walked back over to the bed, sat down heavily, and picked his phone back up, typing away as if I wasn't even there.

​"I don't want to share a room with you," I told him bluntly. He remained completely silent.

​Seeing that he was ignoring me, I marched over to the massive wardrobe and violently attempted to drag my heavy suitcase back out into the open room. "I'll just go stay with Janice instead," I declared, pulling the handle. He didn't even look up. But the exact second my hand touched the doorknob to leave, his deep voice cut through the silence.

​"You want to leave?" he asked.

​I nodded defiantly.

​"I dare you," he suddenly said. Before I could even blink, he was on his feet, striding across the room. He reached past me, clicked the lock into place, and pulled the key straight out of the knob.

​"What exactly is wrong with you?!" I yelled, backing up.

​"We are supposed to be in a relationship, Katherine," he said, his dark eyes locked on mine. "I am a globally known celebrity. As much as we are the only ones staying in this specific wing, every single resort employee knows exactly who I am, and it is no secret to the world that you're my girlfriend. If they see us sleeping in separate rooms, what do you think is going to happen?"

​He took a step closer, his voice dropping into a quieter, harsher tone. "I haven't secured my Nike deal yet, and you promised you would date me until then. If you didn't actually want to do this, you should have just said so from the start."

​His words hit me like a physical blow. A sudden, sharp sting of hurt rushed through my chest, and hot tears instantly threatened to spill over my eyelashes. I forced them back, refusing to let him see me cry.

​Ethan noticed the shift immediately. His furious expression crumbled into panic, and he tried to step toward me. "I'm sorry, I—"

​"Leave me alone," I choked out, raising my hand to halt him in his tracks.

​I turned my back on him, aggressively dragging my suitcase back over to the wardrobe. It was a massive room anyway; logically, I knew there was more than enough space for both of us to coexist. But I was strictly letting him know I had no interest in talking to him—not until he finally explained what the hell was actually going on between him and Cole.

​I walked over to the plush leather sofa, lying down and scrolling through my phone as if I didn't have a single care in the world. Ethan went back to the bed without saying another word.

​Frustrated, I opened my messages and texted Janice, laying out every single detail of what had just happened. I desperately needed someone to take my side, but her reply completely shocked me.

​“Why don't you just tell him what he's done wrong?” her text read. “He probably has no idea, Kat. And honestly, the guy rented out a literal five-star resort just so you could be comfortable. He doesn't deserve the silent treatment.”

​I subtly lifted my eyes from the screen, glancing over at Ethan’s quiet figure on the bed. Before I could even process it, another text from Janice popped up.

​“Talk to him.”

​I rolled my eyes dramatically, tossing my phone face-down onto the sofa cushion. Was this girl even my best friend?

​Suddenly, a wave of pure exhaustion washed over me. Deciding I needed to wash off the tension, I stood up to grab a fresh change of clothes from my luggage so I could take a hot shower.

​"Hold on," Ethan’s voice suddenly cut through the quiet.

​I spun around to face him, thoroughly annoyed. "What?!"

​Ethan stood up from the bed, his dark eyes fixed entirely on the back of my outfit. "You're stained, love."

​"Stained? What on earth are you talking about?" I asked, completely bewildered. I reached back, blindly feeling the fabric of my sundress, and twisted around to look.

​Shit, I muttered internally. It was my period.

​Right on cue, as if my body had just been waiting for me to notice, a vicious, white-hot cramp ripped through my lower abdomen. I gasped, doubling over and clutching my stomach in sudden agony.

​"Are you okay?" Ethan asked, his voice dripping with instant worry as he moved toward me.

​"No... cramps," I wheezed. Before he could even touch me, a wave of intense nausea hit my throat. I bolted past him into the bathroom, dropping to my knees in front of the toilet. I held my stomach in pure pain, feeling like I was about to literally vomit my own intestines out.

​"Easy, love," Ethan murmured gently. He was suddenly right there beside me on the tile floor, his large, warm hand rubbing soothing, steady circles against my back.

​He stayed with me until the nausea subsided, gently helping me stand up and leading me back out of the bathroom. I suddenly felt a massive wave of embarrassment wash over me.

​"Do you have any sanitary pads?" he asked softly, completely unfazed.

​I nodded numbly, looking down at the floor. "Yes... in the side pocket of my luggage. I normally carry some every time I travel."

​Without a single trace of hesitation, Ethan walked over to my suitcase, zipped open the side pocket, and retrieved what I needed. He even went into the wardrobe and brought me a fresh pair of clean clothes. I took them from him with a quiet murmur, locked myself back in the bathroom, and took a warm, steaming shower. I carefully washed my stained dress by hand, hanging it up on one of the drying ropes inside the stall.

​The moment I stepped back out into the bedroom, my stomach flared with another brutal wave of pain. Before I could even take a step toward the sofa, Ethan approached me. Without a single word of warning, he slipped his arms beneath me and effortlessly lifted me up in a secure bridal style.

​"What are you doing?" I gasped, instinctively wrapping my arms around his neck.

​"You're in a lot of pain," he told me, his voice smooth and entirely commanding as he looked down at me. "It's better if you don't run your mouth right now, love."

​He walked over to the massive bed and laid me down against the plush pillows with unbelievable gentleness. He climbed onto the mattress beside me, and before I could protest, his large, incredibly warm hand settled over my bare abdomen, slowly massaging my stomach to ease the cramps. With his free hand, he pulled out his phone and quickly dialed a number.

​"Get a menstrual heating belt brought up to the master suite right now," he commanded into the receiver before abruptly hanging up.

​I looked up at his perfect profile, the warmth of his hand radiating deep into my skin. The sharp edge of my anger completely melted away, replaced by a soft, quiet realization. "Thank you," I said in a low, vulnerable tone.

​I finally realized that my intense stubbornness and irritable attitude from earlier were strictly because of my period starting.

​Ethan looked down at me, his dark eyes softening completely as a small, breathtaking smile tugged at his lips.

​"Anything for you, Katie Berry."