Limbo Ch. 02

That was it. The anchor of hate around his neck was finally off. He took his phone out and pressed a speed dial number.

"Sam. I'm ready. I'm coming over tonight."

* *

Later that night, Ethan stepped into Sam's apartment, unsure what to expect. Scented candles were lit all over the living room. Damien finished lighting the last one.

"You lucky dog, you," he grinned at him. "I'll get out of your hair."

Damien left, not before a final barb about him being okay with bisexuals as well. Ethan cringed a little bit.

"Come in," said a voice from her room.

Ethan opened the door and saw Samantha standing by her bedside wearing nothing. The light was a dim red and a slow quartet melody played in the background.

He simply stood there gawking like an idiot. His eyes drank in her naked frame, from her perfectly shaped hips, washboard stomach, to her perky breasts. Her eyes in turn bored into him, daring him to take the next step.

"Please, come here."

She sat down and patted the part of the bed next to her. Her gaze followed him all the way from the door to her side. She grasped his hands and held it to her chest.

"Thalia told me you have an idea of why I'm so averse to relationships. It was during Dad's birthday party, wasn't it?"

A silent nod answered her. Sam took a deep breath.

"How much did they tell you?"

"Enough for me to know it was something truly horrifying. That's all I needed to know."

She tightened her grip on his wrist.

"Do you see me, Ethan?" she asked. "I'm naked in my truth for you. I want you to know all that happened before we take the next step forward."

"You don't have to tell me. I don't want you to relive any of it."

"I do," she insisted. "It's not fair that all of you move on and I stay stuck in the worst moment of my life. Before that happened, I was the life of the party and that's who you deserve to be with. It's going to be the hardest thing I've ever done, but I'd like to tell you what happened to me."

Ethan smiled at her and brushed a few strands of her blonde hair off her face.

"I'd be honoured to hear it."

Samantha smiled and snuggled her naked body into him. He cradled her head against his chest as she began.

"It was three years ago. I was visiting an artist friend of mine in Barcelona..."

* *

EPILOGUE

"Oh my God! You're going to propose to her."

Even from all the way in Greenville, Valerie was unable to hide her bubbling excitement.

"Yes," said Ethan, sitting at the edge of Sam's bed. He shot a glance backward to see her naked form peacefully curled up among the sheets. Her first sex in years had been nothing short of virtuoso. Parts of his body he had not known to be erogenous tingled with pleasure.

"Have you thought about how you're going to pop the question?"

"Not really."

"Don't you worry. I'll be in Manhattan next weekend and I'll get you reservations at Le Cirque. Leave it all to me and I promise you, she won't forget the night."

"Won't you be busy with your work?"

"Nonsense," Val waved off. "I can't be too busy to help my brother."

"I'd appreciate that."

"Hold on, Sarah wants to talk to you."

The next voice Ethan heard over the phone was breathless and shrill in equal measure.

"Ethan! Congratulations. When is the wedding? What's your venue? What are you going to name your kids? Please name the baby Lily if it's a girl. I'd love to spoil a niece named Lily Cole."

"Whoa! Whoa! You're a few hundred steps ahead of us right now."

"I'm sorry, I'm so thrilled. I'll go get Arthur. Don't hang up."

In their family home in Greenville, Sarah rushed across the house to get Arthur on the line. Valerie finished rocking her baby to sleep before she picked up a framed picture of herself, Ethan and their mother from when she was ten. She smiled when she saw her protective grip around Ethan.

"Mom made me promise I'd look out for you," she thought to herself. "That's all you need to know."

She was right. There were things in her world that Ethan didn't need to know about.

Like the fact that ever since Ethan called her outside the rave, distraught over the tatters of his marriage, she had quietly gone about finding all she could on Zoe and the man she had hurt her brother to be with.

Also the fact that she had made a curious business decision over a year ago to sell a major portion of the stock her firm held in an emerging minerals company. The resulting selling spree made the company's shares worthless overnight.

Also the fact that Milos Petric had invested millions in that company. Millions in securities which vaporised in an instant, leaving him as financially bankrupt as he was morally.

Truly, these were things that Ethan did not need to know.