Wrecked (10 page)

“Yep. We are going all the way into Boston,” Ethan answered Bess’s
question of where they were going. They’d been driving for over an hour and she
was quite curious. “It’s at the Mandarin Oriental.”

“Never heard of it,” Bess replied.

Ethan grinned. “We’ll be there soon. Not much further now.”

Maneuvering through the traffic took a considerable amount
of attention, so Bess remained quiet until they reached the front of the hotel.

“Shit!” she mumbled to herself. She felt very much out of
her comfort zone.

Ethan laughed and would have replied but the bellman already
had her door open and was helping her out of the car. Ethan flinched as he saw
the way the man was looking at his date.

“I’ve got it,” he snapped as he hurried around the car and
took Bess’s hand. Not even the formality of tipping made Ethan stop. He just
led Bess through the doors of the hotel and toward the ballroom.

He was familiar with the hotel, as it was the location of
the dinner every year. They arrived just a couple of minutes later than Ethan
had anticipated so he continued through the hotel without any small talk, just
his hand holding hers as they walked with purpose. He nodded and smiled at a
few people they passed, guiding her into the ballroom, the likes she had not
seen before.

“Wow,” she gasped. “It’s really beautiful.”

“Doesn’t even compare to you,” he replied with sincerity and
lifted her hand and kissed her wrist. He felt her flinch, so he kissed her
again. “Now let’s find our table.”

For the entire evening, Ethan could barely take his eyes off
Bess. She was dazzling. He was enamored. It wasn’t just the dress she wore, or
the expertly applied makeup, or even the curls that framed her face in gold. It
was the way her eyes sparkled when she laughed, the way she listened intently
to the conversation so if asked a question, she could answer intelligently. It
was the way she began the evening, obviously intimidated by the surroundings
and the doctors and their significant others that had her occasionally
squirming in her seat, and then, by the time the dessert course was being
served, how her back was straight and she was involved in the conversation
without being prodded. It was the way she treated everyone the same, whether it
was a homeless man arriving at the hospital, smelly and filthy, or the
president of the board of directors for the company that owned the hospital.
Bess was kind-hearted and attentive, and those at her table seemed to be quite
taken with the beautiful young woman. Ethan couldn’t have been more proud to
call her his date.

When the awards began, and speeches were imminent, Bess
turned her chair slightly so she could give her full attention. When awards
were given, she clapped loudly, genuinely happy for the recipient. When a
speech was given, she listened attentively and soaked in their words. Ethan
couldn’t help but gaze at her, in awe of her beauty inside and out. As he
watched her sip on her glass of champagne and smile at everyone around her, he
knew that he’d fallen in love with her. He knew that he wanted to spend the rest
of his life with her. He knew he wanted to care for her and provide her with
everything she needed in order to be happy. He knew that he wanted to give her
his heart, hoping she would feel the same and offer hers to him.

As the event started to wind down and the guests began
leaving, Ethan suggested they move to the bar and have another drink. Bess
agreed happily and took his offered hand.

Sitting in a secluded corner of the bar in a leather-clad
booth, Ethan ordered a bottle of champagne and placed his arm across the back
of the booth, his fingers playing with a lock of Bess’s golden hair.

“Thank you for coming with me tonight.”

Bess looked up at him and smiled. “Thank you for asking. And
thank you for the dress.”

“You look positively stunning in it.”

“I feel like a princess,” she laughed softly.

“You should. You are a princess.”

“Well, once it strikes midnight I’ll turn back into just
plain old me.”

Ethan’s grin faded. “There is nothing plain about you, Bess.
You are everything
but
plain.”

“You’ve had too much to drink,” Bess chuckled nervously.

Just at the moment, a waiter arrived with a bucket full of
ice and a bottle of chilled champagne. “May I?”

Ethan nodded and the cork was popped and Bess laughed as the
foam began to escape the bottle. Expertly done, the waiter lifted the glasses
and captured every drop of the bubbly liquid and then disappeared quietly.
Ethan handed a crystal flute to Bess and took one himself.

“To the most beautiful woman in the world,” he toasted as he
raised his glass.

“To a very handsome man,” she replied.

Ethan smiled and took a drink. “I think it is safe to say
that I probably shouldn’t be driving tonight. I have taken the liberty of
booking us a room here at the hotel. Neither of us work tomorrow.”

Bess froze, her expression one of terror. “I… I don’t
think…”

“I’ve booked you a room and me a room,” he clarified. “It’s
okay.”

“Oh,” Bess sighed, relief plastered all over her face.

“I would never be so presumptuous,” Ethan added. He knew how
skittish she was and would never intentionally do anything to scare her away.

Bess attempted a smile and sipped on her champagne.

Ethan realized that he had ruined the mood. Bess was no
longer comfortable – he could see it in her face and body language, her back
rigid and her arm laying awkwardly across her lap. So, after a second glass he
suggested they get their keys and head up to their rooms to which Bess agreed
quickly. He grabbed the half-full bottle and led Bess out of the bar and to the
front desk where they retrieved their room keys. They were next to each other
on the seventh floor.

Once the elevator doors opened and they walked down the
carpeted hallway looking for their rooms, Bess relaxed a little and once again
thanked Ethan for inviting her.

“I had a really good time,” she smiled.

“Me too.”

They reached her door first and Ethan kissed her on the
cheek before Bess had a chance to retreat into her room.

“Thank you for being my date this evening,” he whispered
against her cheek. “I had a great time with you. Goodnight.”

Bess exhaled the breath she’d been holding since Ethan’s
lips had touched her flushed skin. “Goodnight,” she replied, her hand shaking
as she tried to put the keycard in the slot of the door handle.

“Let me help,” Ethan offered and took the card from her. He
had the door open in a second and handed the key back to Bess. “Sleep well.”

*****

Bess leaned her head against the door once she was safely
locked in her room. The night had been going perfectly… probably the best night
of her life. And then he’d said he’d booked a room in the hotel and her whole
body had tightened as if she’d been trapped in a vice, squeezing the breath
from her body.

It wasn’t that she wasn’t attracted to Ethan. She was. Most
definitely attracted to him. And how could she not be? He was everything a
woman was looking for in a man. But her step-father had done more damage than
she’d realized. The idea of a man touching her was revolting… almost tasting
bile in her throat when the memories of her encounter with the bastard invaded
her thoughts. She would never be able to have a man in her bed and not think of
the asshole who’d taken everything from her; her innocence, her family, her
security, her trust in men. He’d abruptly ripped her youth from her and Bess
would never forgive him or her mother. Never.

*****

Ethan crouched down and opened the mini bar. He pulled two
mini bottles out and drank them both. He’d known it was too soon and he didn’t
want to pressure Bess into doing anything she wasn’t comfortable with, but he
was tired of taking cold showers each time he left her. He’d hoped that after
their time together at the dinner, she’d feel more relaxed around him and maybe
let her guard down. The walls she had built around her were tall and thick and
Ethan wondered if she would ever let him inside.

It wasn’t only about sex either. He knew that her experience
as a teenager must have left a huge emotional scar that would take a lot of
healing, and he was more than prepared to do whatever he could to help. He just
wanted to be with her, in any way she allowed. But obviously, spending the
night with him was out of the question for the foreseeable future. He wouldn’t
stop though. He would take as long as it took to convince Bess that she was the
right woman for him. He would show her that he loved her. He would make her see
that he was the man for her.

Bess glanced at the alarm clock next to the bed. It was only
ten minutes later than the last time she’d checked. The night was going very
slowly.

She’d taken a hot bath, soaking her body until she resembled
a giant prune, and then smothered herself in the luxurious lotion that was next
to the sink. She wrapped herself in the terry robe hanging in the closet and
then tried watching television until she was tired enough to sleep. It hadn’t
worked.

She’d turned off the TV and thrown the remote on the bed.
Next she tried listening to the radio but the hauntingly beautiful song, Wicked
Games, played and the words had swirled around in her head long after she’d
turned off the music.

“I never dreamed that I'd meet somebody like you.” Truer
words had never been spoken… or sung. Ethan was the man she never dreamed about
meeting. He was too far out of her league to even begin to imagine someone like
him in her life.

“What a wicked game to play, to make me feel this way.” The
words repeated themselves over and over and over until she couldn’t take much
more.
Damn you, Ethan!

Before she realized what she was doing, Bess was knocking on
Ethan’s door. Just as her brain began working again, she took a step backwards,
horrified at her reckless actions. But the door opened before she could make
her escape.

“Bess?” a disheveled Ethan squinted into the brightly lit
hallway. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she muttered and took another step back. “Sorry.”

“Wait!” Ethan exclaimed as she turned to walk away. He
grabbed her arm and pulled her into his room, closing and locking the door
behind her. “What is it?” He ran his hand through his hair, making it even more
messy. “It’s two in the morning.”

Bess paced back and forth at the foot of the bed, wringing
her hands and wondering what the hell she was thinking. But the truth was she
hadn’t been thinking. She’d let her heart take the lead for the first time in
her life and she would pay the price for it.

“Bess,” Ethan pleaded. “What is it?”

“I’m not good enough for you.”

“What?”

“Maybe I am being presumptuous, but you need to find someone
that isn’t… doesn’t… someone that can make you happy.”

“Huh?” Ethan was completely dumbfounded at her statement.
“What are you saying?”

“Move on, Ethan!” she all but shouted. “It’s just cruel that
you keep asking me to dinner or whatever. It’s cruel and you need to stop.” A
tear escaped and then another.

“Hey. Hey,” Ethan soothed and gathered her into his embrace.
“I think we need to have a conversation.”

“You need to find a girl that’s much better than me.”

“There isn’t a girl better than you,” Ethan replied as he
kissed her on the top of her head. “You are perfect in every way.”

“Hmph! No. Not even close.”

“Yes. You are. Why don’t you think you are?” Ethan scooped
her up and sat on the sofa with Bess nestled into his side, his arms still
around her.

“I’m… um… challenged.”

“Well, at this moment I would agree that you’re challenge-
ing
,”
he chuckled. “Why do you think you are challenged?”

“There’s something I should tell you.” Bess sat up straight
and extricated herself from his hold.

“Okay,” Ethan replied.

Bess took a deep breath and began. “When I had just turned ten
my mom married a man that she barely knew. My dad had died when I was little
and I guess mom didn’t like to be alone. There was always a guy staying the
weekend or whatever. I got used to them coming and going. I just did my own
thing and took care of myself for the most part. But then she met
him
and they got married. I didn’t like him. I
never
liked him.” Bess had to
take another deep breath in order to calm herself. Just thinking about him made
her fists clench. “I tried to avoid him and after mom had a baby, he was only
interested in his son, which was just fine with me.”

“Your little brother,” Ethan nodded.

“Yep. Well when I turned sixteen, my mom took me to get my
driver’s license and then he took mom and bought a new car. She was pretty
excited. She’d never had a brand new car before. Anyway, he came into my room
and gave me the keys to my mom’s old car… the Subaru.”

“The same car you have now?”

Bess nodded. “Yep. Same one. After that I thought I was free
and I could come and go as I pleased. They never cared because they were doting
on the baby. I got a job and had my friends and figured life wasn’t too bad.”

“And then?” Ethan asked.

“And then,” Bess gulped. “It was late. I was in bed. I’d had
a long shift at work and I was tired. I fell asleep pretty quickly but I was
awoken a couple of hours later. He was in my bed… on top of me. He didn’t have
any clothes on and his… he was… he was trying to pry my legs apart, his hand
on… he was grabbing me,” Bess choked. The tears were pouring down her cheeks as
she recalled the horrific events of that night. “I have no idea how, but I somehow
managed to get him off me. I just pulled my knee up hard and slammed him in the
balls. He screamed, slapped me across the face and called me a bitch.”

Ethan tried to pull her back into his arms but Bess swatted
him away. “He told me I was just like my mom… a tease and a bitch and that he
would get what he wanted. Then, out of nowhere, I hear myself telling him that
if he ever tried that again, I would kill him. That got his attention. He
turned and walked out of my room.”

“You are so brave. Being only sixteen and being able to
fight him off is amazing.”

Bess didn’t acknowledge his comment, just kept talking. “The
real punch in the gut is that my mom was standing in the doorway when he walked
out of my room. I don’t know how much she saw but she saw enough. I mean he was
naked and his dick was flapping all over the place as he walked out. What other
scenario could there be?”

“Not only were you assaulted by a man that should protect
you, you were betrayed by your own mother.” Ethan was appalled at their actions
and proud of the woman Bess had become.

“Yep. So, as you now know, I am pretty screwed up.”

Ethan paused. How he responded to her had the potential to
bring them closer together or ensure that she would never let down her guard
long enough to let him in.

“I can’t even begin to imagine what that was like for you. I
am very sorry that the people you trusted the most let you down so badly.” When
Bess didn’t react to his comment, he continued. “As a doctor, I can attest to
the fact that emotional wounds take much,
much
longer to heal than
physical ones. But they do heal… over time and with support from people who
love you.”

Bess’s eyelids lifted. She looked at Ethan, her eyes filled
with unshed tears.

“You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met, both on
the inside and out. You are kind and patient and smart and funny. If you feel
challenged
,
believe me, no one else sees it. I’ve watched you with people at work. You
treat everyone with such genuine concern and kindness. The ER is where we see
people in some of the worst times of their life and you handle it all with such
grace and charity. And,” he added with a smile, “there are several men at the
hospital that would have asked you out but haven’t because I have threatened
bodily harm if they do,” he chuckled.

“Huh?”

“Oh yeah! Believe me. I let it leak that you were not
available.”

Bess was speechless. “Why? Why would you do that?”

“Come on,” he grinned. “You’re a smart woman. Can’t you
tell? I have fallen in love with you, Elizabeth Williams.”

“Oh.”

“What that bastard did to you when you were sixteen is a
reflection on him, not you. He should be in prison for what he did, not you.”

“But I’m not in prison.”

“Are you sure about that?”

Bess allowed herself a moment to think about Ethan’s words.
For seven years she’d been in a prison of her own making. This time, when Ethan
reached for her, she allowed herself to be pulled into his embrace, her head
resting on his chest as he stroked her hair. He didn’t speak. He didn’t move.
He just let her be… and think.

After several minutes had passed, Ethan wriggled. “My arm
has gone to sleep and I am falling asleep.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she jumped. “I should go and…”

“No. I don’t want you to go. Stay here. With me. Let me hold
you while you fall asleep. Please?”

*****

The streaming sunlight through the sheer curtains woke Bess.
She was tangled in her robe and the duvet, not to mention that Ethan had her
pulled tightly to his chest. Her hair was in her face and her mouth was bone-dry
but she didn’t want to move. She’d slept well, once she finally fell asleep,
and waking in Ethan’s arms was better than any dream. She wanted to savor the
moment for as long as possible.

As she listened to Ethan’s steady breathing, and felt his
arms wrapped tightly around her waist, Bess felt enormous relief that she’d
been able to tell him about her past. She’d kept the secret for so long and the
burden of that secret had weighed heavily on her. Yes, she’d revealed some of
the story to Regina when she’d been ill and in the hospital, and yes, it had
helped, but having Ethan know all of the gory details had lifted the weight
from her sagging shoulders. And… he hadn’t judged her. That fact just confirmed
to Bess what a good man he was, and how much his friendship meant to her.

She was kidding herself though, and she knew it. She liked
having Ethan as her friend – he was her best friend, but she wanted more, and
if she understood him from his comments, so did he. If she understood him? He
couldn’t have made it plainer. He’d told her he was in love with her and it had
shocked her to the core. Bess had never thought of herself as loveable. She
had, in fact, imprisoned herself to protect herself from more pain and
betrayal. It had worked well enough but it had also left her alone and void of all
feeling. Basically, she’d been numb for the last seven years. If she wanted
Ethan, and she did, she would have to free herself. Nobody could do it for her.

His deep and steady breathing lulled her back to sleep,
still twisted in the hotel robe, her hair matted over her forehead, a smile on
her face, but Bess had never been more comfortable. The early morning dreams
which invaded her mind were of happy days spent walking on the cliff with
Ethan, their fingers laced together, and Bess feeling happier than she could
ever remember. The wind blew the cool ocean spray across their cheeks and they
talked and laughed for hours. When they eventually headed back to the house,
Bess led Ethan through the house to the bedroom, ready to share all of herself
with him… ready to put the past behind her and embrace her future with the man
whom she’d fallen madly in love. He was perfect. Life was perfect and Bess, in
a half-asleep-half-awake state had hope that her future would include Ethan and
a life filled with happiness and love.