Chapter 9: Don’t You Want To Take Responsibility?

“You wanna see me?” Star replied.

“I just wanna say thank you, face to face.”

“There will come a chance. Go to sleep, and tomorrow is a new day.”

Kylie sent him a smiley emoji, and then she fell asleep. But an hour later, a sudden sound came from the living room.

Kylie sat up; all her sleepiness gone in an instant. Pupu was in the living room, so it couldn’t be a thief.

She turned on the bedside lamp and picked up her clothes.

The door to her bedroom wasn’t closed, so she could see Ethan right away. He was in the bathroom.

The door to the bathroom was broken, and Kylie hadn’t had time to repair it. It seemed that the door had finally given way completely.

“Wait one minute while I get some tools,” Kylie said, pulling a toolbox out from under her bed.

“Sorry, I should have repaired it, but I’ve been so busy these last weeks,” Kylie apologized, unscrewing.

“You’re good at that,” the man said, watching her skilled actions.

“You wouldn’t understand,” she replied. She lived alone and didn’t have much money; her situation didn’t allow her to live like a princess. These little problems were all hers to solve.

Whatever the issue—dredging, draining, replacing a bulb, or fixing the water tap—she was in charge.

Some people said she was a super lady, but in fact, she was merely strong and resilient.

Ethan’s face was frozen in irritation.

While he washed his hands, he found that the tap didn’t suit the pipe. Besides, the sanitary carton on the wall wasn’t the original but made up with a plastic box. Plus, the wall in the bathroom was mildewy and wet, and the drainage smelled bad.

It hurt him to see a girl living in such an environment!

Kylie fixed the door within seconds and said: “There. Go to bed now, and it won’t bother you.”

Ethan sat back down on the sofa. She wasn’t experienced at this kind of work, but the look on her face indicated that he should do it alone.

“You were in the toilet again. Why?” Kylie asked him, noticing that he wasn’t going back to bed.

“I want to smoke,” the man said in a low voice. In fact, he smoked in the washroom because he didn’t want to make her ill.

“You needn’t. I smoke too,” Kylie replied.

Ethan’s face turned cold, and he suddenly asked without consideration: “Why won’t you marry me?”

Maybe it was the dark night or his attractive voice, but Kylie felt lost. After a moment of silence, she stared back at him and said: “You’re a soldier, and you were born in a big family, and you...you just look good...what about me? I have a bad reputation, and your nephew abandoned me...I can’t think of a reason why you would want to marry me.”

“Because they hate you,” he responded quickly.

Kylie shrugged.

“They want to take over the family business now that I’m back,” Ethan continued. “You want revenge. We have the same target.”

We are the same, thinks Kylie, he’s against his family like me.

Kylie stared into Ethan’s peaceful eyes. “Lord Ethan...”

“What?”

“I once offended you,” Kylie said carefully. She didn’t know if that was the reason he so liked to torment her.

She had felt that he was very familiar, even though they had just met. And how to explain her strange familiarity with his dog?

“It’s nothing,” the man answered in a pleasant voice. But it deeply bothered Kylie.

“Well, I don’t think I can repair this immediately. Why don’t you sleep a bit first? I’m ready for sleeping too.” Kylie put aside the tools and stepped away.

Ethan had guessed what she wanted to do. He stepped further onto her torment and said: “That’s all?” Or what? She thought, wanting to be away.

But she couldn’t get her legs to work. She simply turned around and sat next to Ethan. She glanced at the dog.

Ethan unfastened the buttons of his sleeves. He was so gentle. He asked: “You’re terrified of me?”

Lord Ethan appeared more terrifying and evil than the man she had known during the daytime.

Kylie nodded, shook, and nodded some more.

“Everyone knows you,” she said.

Ethan pulled up his sleeves, revealing his strong muscles. He brought his tall body forward.

And now, his attention was completely on Kylie’s face. He could see her every movement. “I heard you were scared of nothing...why are you scared of marrying me?”

Kylie shook. Jesus, can’t we move past this topic? Should she tell him the truth, or...? Kylie slowly raised her head. “Well, can I ask a question first, Lord Ethan?”

“Ask!” Ethan placed his elbows on his knees.

“If you want to make the Finches unhappy, you can find a boyfriend...you don’t need me,” Kylie said in a serious tone.

Ethan’s dark eyes froze. This fucking girl thinks I’m gay, he thought. Some day, he would pay her back for what she said.

“You clearly know who I am. Everyone who’s with me falls deeply in love with me. Divorce bothers people—but not you; we’ll never have that connection,” the low voice answered.

She should be clever, she thinks. How could she act like such an idiot in front of Ethan?

“I’ve always said no to sex. I won’t sleep with anyone unless she’s my wife,” he said.

“Damn it!” Kylie really wanted to ask him how he keeps remaining a virgin for almost thirty years. Wouldn’t his dick be sick?

Ethan watched her strange expression and said: “I want to do what we talked about in the car today.”

Kylie had forgotten about that. They kept silent for a long time until she spoke up: “Lord Ethan, it’s too late. We both need a rest.”

Then, she stepped into her room.

***

She is woken the next morning by a bark. Kylie opened her eyes.

What the fuck! Something hard was touching her.

She held her breath and lifted herself up. She saw thick eyelashes, high nostrils, and tight lips...Damn, a man! Why was she holding a man?

She stared blankly at his face. What happened last night?

Clenching her lips, she tried to lift the man’s arm away from her waist. But he suddenly tightened his grip on her, holding her close.

Kylie’s face turned white. “Lord Ethan?”

No way, please! Did she really sleep with Lord Ethan under the effect of alcohol?

But she had only drank three bottles of beer, which wasn’t enough to make this kind of thing happen.

“Kylie, did you forget what happened last night?” said a low voice near her ear.

Kylie’s face turned from white to red. “No...it is...”

“Don’t you want to take responsibility?”

Damn!