Forced To Marry My Cousin's Fiancé

Chapter 51: Chapter 51

When Lane went back inside the mansion, she called Noah right away to let him know about her car trouble.

He picked up on the third ring. "Hey, Lane. What’s up?"

"Could I ask you for a favor?" she asked.

"Sure, what is it?"

"I have a flat tire, and it won’t be fixed until this afternoon," she told him. "I can’t use any of Ethan’s cars, and I can’t find a taxi anywhere."

"Want me to come get you, Lane?" Noah asked. That was exactly what she’d wanted, but now that he’d offered, she suddenly felt shy. She felt bad making him drive all that way just for her.

"No, that’s okay, Noah. I’ll just have the driver from my parents’ house pick me up," she said.

"Don’t be silly, I’ll just pick you up," Noah insisted.

Lane shook her head, even though he couldn’t see her. "No, really, Noah. You’ll have to go totally out of your way."

"Won’t your parents’ driver have to go out of his way, too?" he countered. She didn’t have a comeback for that because he was right.

"Just let me book a ride—"

"I’m coming to get you, Lane," he interrupted. She tried to argue, but Noah spoke up again, already knowing what she was going to say. "No ifs, ands, or buts. I’ll call you when I’m outside the gates." He said goodbye and hung up.

Since Lane didn’t feel like going back upstairs, she stayed in the living room. She sat on the sofa and pulled out her phone.

Earlier, she’d been scrolling through social media, but now she was reading an article about pregnancy. She’d actually been reading a lot of them lately. As a first-time mom, she admitted the information was a huge help.

She was still lost in the article when she heard footsteps. She looked up and her eyes went wide at the sight of the person entering the mansion.

It was Ethan.

He had a dead-serious look on his face as he walked toward her. His black coat was draped over his arm, and his necktie was pulled loose and crooked.

He didn’t look like he’d just come from a normal day at the office; he looked completely stressed out.

Is something wrong at work? she wondered. Why was he even home? She knew he was supposed to have a big board meeting today because he’d mentioned it earlier.

Ethan didn’t take his eyes off her as he approached. Their gazes locked, and she couldn’t look away.

"Why are you home, Ethan?" Lane asked once he got close. "Is everything okay?"

Instead of answering, he sank down onto the sofa next to her. She felt a rush of concern when he leaned his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes. She sat there for a second, just watching him, before reaching out to touch his arm.

"Are you okay, Ethan?" she asked, her voice thick with worry. She knew she was wearing her heart on her sleeve.

Ethan opened his eyes and glanced at her without moving his head from the headrest. His dark eyes focused on her, and Lane didn’t bother trying to hide the worry in her expression. She didn’t care if he could read her like a book.

As she stared back, she saw something flicker in his eyes, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was.

"Are you okay?" she asked again.

He stayed quiet for a moment, just looking at her. Finally, he spoke. "I have a headache," he muttered before closing his eyes again.

Lane blinked, surprised he’d admitted it. The concern she felt doubled. "I’ll get you some medicine," she said.

She started to stand up, but Ethan grabbed her hand to stop her.

"E-Ethan?"

"Stay," he said, his eyes still closed.

"But I need to get you something for the pain—"

Lane didn’t finish the sentence because Ethan’s head slid down from the headrest and landed right on her shoulder.

"Just stay," he repeated.

Lane’s heart started thumping against her ribs. She didn’t move an inch, letting him do what he wanted.

She sat there with his head on her shoulder, his hand still holding hers.

The silence between them was broken a moment later by her phone ringing. When she checked the screen, she saw it was Noah. She glanced at Ethan and realized his eyes were open, fixed on her phone.

He lifted his head from her shoulder but kept a firm grip on her hand, his eyebrows knitting together.

She took a deep breath and answered. "H-hello?"

"Lane, come on out. I’m here," Noah said.

Biting her lip nervously, she looked at Ethan. His eyes were closed again, but the crease on his forehead told her he was listening.

She looked away and focused on the call.

"Noah, I’m so sorry, but I can’t make it," she told him.

" Ethan just got home and he’s not feeling well. I can’t leave him," she said.

Noah didn’t say anything for a second. "I’ll make it up to you next time, I’m really sorry," she added.

She heard Noah take a deep breath on the other end. "Okay," he said simply.

"Please tell Ava I’m sorry. I’ll see you guys soon," Lane said, ending the call quickly.

She glanced at Ethan beside her and blinked in surprise. There was a slight curve to his lips, a tiny hint of a smile, as if something had just made his day.

Lane blinked rapidly, staring down at Ethan’s face. A moment later, he must have felt her eyes on him because he opened his own.

His dark eyes locked onto hers again. Lane couldn’t look away, especially when a tiny glint of happiness flickered deep in his gaze.

"Does your head still hurt?" she asked him.

Ethan didn’t answer right away, his eyes lingering on her face. "Yeah," he finally muttered.

She took a deep breath and stood up. "Come on, let’s head upstairs. You need to crash for a bit," she told him. When he didn’t make a move to get up, she held her hand out to him.

He looked down at her outstretched hand for a second before taking it. But he didn’t just hold it; he immediately intertwined their fingers. Lane still wasn’t used to it.

Every time their skin touched, she felt that same electric jolt shoot straight through her body. She knew Ethan felt it too, because he gave her hand a firm squeeze.

After a moment, he stood up from the sofa. "Let’s go," he rumbled in that deep baritone.

As he gently pulled her along, she followed right behind him. Lane bit her lip.

Even though he was the one feeling under the weather, he still made sure to support her as they climbed the stairs. He was also the one who pushed the door open when they reached his room, still holding her hand as they walked inside. He only let go once they were close to the bed.

Ethan sat on the edge, but instead of joining him, she stayed standing.

"Lie down for a sec. I’ll go grab some medicine," she said.

She didn’t wait for him to argue before heading to the bathroom to look for the first aid kit. She grabbed some headache pills and hurried back to him. He was sitting exactly where she had left him.

"Take this, Ethan," she said, handing him the pills as she approached. He took them from her without a word.

She also grabbed the glass of water she kept on her nightstand. She always kept a glass there so she wouldn’t have to wander out of the room if she got thirsty in the middle of the night.

"Where are you going now?" she heard him ask when she turned to leave again.

"I’m just gonna grab you a T-shirt."

"I got it, Lane," Ethan said. He stood up and headed into his walk-in closet.

While she waited, she sat on the edge of the bed. A few moments later, he came back out, already changed into more comfortable clothes, and stepped toward her.

"Ethan..."

"Hmm?"

She bit her lip nervously. "Do you want me to help you relax? Maybe... a head massage?"

she suggested. When he didn’t answer immediately, she quickly added, "It’ll help take the edge off the pain."

When he nodded, she couldn’t help but smile. Lane noticed him staring intently at her. "Lie down. I’ll just go grab my ointment," she said.

As he followed her instructions, she dug through her bag for the ointment. Once she found it, she walked back over to the bed. He was watching her every move. She climbed onto the mattress, gathering up enough courage to tell him to lay his head in her lap so she could reach him better.

She cleared her throat. "L-lie here, Ethan," she said, gently patting her thigh.

She didn’t have to say it twice. Ethan complied immediately. Lane opened the ointment and gently rubbed it onto his temples, starting the massage.

The second her fingers began to move, Ethan closed his eyes and let out a low, quiet moan.

The sound sent a sudden thrill through her. His soft moans were like music to her ears. She felt a burning blush creeping up her neck as her mind started to wander.

Memories of their recent closeness filled her head—the warmth of his body and the way every single touch seemed to set her on fire.

Just the thought made her heart race.

Damn these hormones, she thought to herself.

She shook her head to clear her mind and focused on what she was doing.

She gently massaged his head for a while, only stopping when she noticed his breathing had finally evened out. Peeking down at his face, she realized he had drifted off completely.

She smiled softly to herself. She’d actually massaged him to sleep.

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