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“Because we want different things, Ethan. We’re at different places in life. I don’t know the real answer. Ultimately, there are many. You make me so happy, but I also think you could make me so sad.”
The tears are freely falling down her face now and I reach to wipe them away, but she leans back. Fuck, I’ve messed everything up, which is the last thing I wanted to do.
“All I want to do is make you happy.”
“I know and you do, here. But we both know you could never come back with me to Star Mountain and do Sunday dinners with my crazy, loud family. You are meant to travel on your tiny boat and do exciting things. I’ve worked hard to become an equal part of the business with my brothers and it’s finally in my reach.”
“You are an equal to your brothers. You don’t have to work at the family company for that to be true. You can do whatever you want to do with your life.” My voice is full of anger now as I feel my dreams for a future with her going up in smoke. “You’re letting them control your life instead of living it for yourself.”
“You want me to live it your way instead?” Her voice is eerily calm. “I’m sick of men telling me who I am and how to feel.”
She stands to walk out of the room when two men bearing a striking resemblance to Clara walk into the room. “We’ve been looking for you.”
Chapter 13
Clara
“What the fuck are the two of you doing here?” I scream. I can’t handle Miles and Hunter after what just happened between Ethan and me.
“Whoa, baby sister. No need to f-bomb us,” Miles says.
“Yeah, we’re here because everyone’s worried.” Hunter comes over to hug me and I start to break down.
Tears are flowing down my face and my brothers look at each other in distress. None of the St. James boys are good with crying women.
Miles turns to Ethan. “What did you do to her?”
“That’s between us,” Ethan answers and then introduces himself.
“Are you the reason she’s been acting weird?” Miles starts puffing up his chest and I just know that if I don’t step in, he’s going to try and defend my honor or some weird crap.
“I haven’t been acting weird, Miles. I’ve been acting like a woman in love.”
Ethan turns to me. “Love.”
“I didn’t mean to say that.” I gasp.
He goes around my brothers and grabs my hands, “But you did. You said you love me.”
I nod my head. “I do, but everything else is still the same. Nothing else has changed.”
“Everything has changed, angel. I love you, too. If we love each other, we can work through the other bullshit.”
“Would someone like to fill us in?” asks Miles as Hunter hits him across the back of the head. That’s usually my job when one of them is being a bonehead.
“I’m pretty sure our baby sister has fallen in love and will be making some big life decisions,” Hunter says with a smile.
I burst into tears again and run over to him. He pulls me into his arms and holds me tight. “Clara Bear, you should be happy. You’re in love and it sounds like he loves you back.”
I nod, but I can’t do anything else but cry. This is all so hopeless.
Hunter keeps his arms around me and says to the other two men in the room who are standing like statues, “I’m going to take my sister for a little walk. We’ll be right back.”
Ethan starts to object, but Miles stops him. As we leave the room, I hear him tell Ethan, “Hunter will know what to do. He’s the Clara Whisperer.”
We walk out to the deck of the boat and stand in the sun. It feels good against my skin, but I still can’t smile. My heart is breaking, and I know there’s no way to fix this mess. I can’t choose between my family and Ethan.
“Explain it to me, Clara. What is keeping you from jumping up and down and freaking out?”
