Rebirth: The New Bride Wants A Divorce-Chapter 368: Now I can’t resist

[Bennett Household – Kathrine’s Room]

"Aren’t you being too much, Ethan? Just how long do you plan on talking to me?" Kathrine sighed for what felt like the hundredth time, her voice still thick with sleep.

The phone was propped against her pillow, the screen glowing softly. Ethan’s face filled it, just as it had since last night. He had video called her sometime after midnight, and somehow, unbelievably, the call had never ended.

Her eyes flicked to the time, then back to the screen.

How is my phone still alive? she wondered, half impressed, half concerned.

Kathrine pushed herself up slightly, suddenly aware of her state. Her hair was a complete mess, strands sticking out in every direction. One side of her face was creased from the pillow, and the corner of her lips felt dry. She wiped it quickly, realization dawning that she must have drooled in her sleep.

Mortified, she glanced at the screen again, expecting at least a hint of amusement.

Instead, Ethan was smiling. Not teasing. Not smug. Just... soft.

"You’re awake," he said, his voice low, almost fond.

Kathrine groaned and buried half her face into the pillow. "Do not look at me like that. I look terrible."

"You look real," Ethan replied simply.

She peeked at him through narrowed eyes. "That is not comforting."

He chuckled quietly. "I have been looking at you for hours, Kathrine. If I was going to be disgusted, it would have happened by now."

"That is not helping your case," she muttered, though her lips twitched despite herself.

She shifted again, tugging the blanket higher. "Seriously, Ethan. You could have hung up. Slept. Lived a normal life."

"And miss this?" he asked, tilting the phone slightly. "Not a chance."

She stared at him then, really stared. His hair was a little rumpled too, dark circles faint beneath his eyes. He looked like he had not slept much at all.

"You stayed up?" she asked quietly.

Ethan shrugged. "You fell asleep mid sentence. I did not have the heart to end the call."

Kathrine blinked. "That is creepy."

He grinned. "A little. But you were smiling in your sleep, so I decided it was worth it."

Her cheeks warmed instantly. "I was not smiling."

"You were," he said without hesitation. "You even mumbled my name once."

Her eyes widened. "I did not."

"You did," he repeated calmly. "I considered recording it for evidence."

"Ethan," she warned, throwing a pillow at the screen.

He laughed, the sound soft and unguarded, and for a moment Kathrine forgot all about how ridiculous the situation was. About how tired she felt. About how this was not how things were supposed to be between them.

Just a short while ago, their conversations had been clipped, cautious. Banter laced with restraint. Now here he was, watching her wake up, unbothered by her disheveled state, looking at her as if she was the only thing anchoring him.

She swallowed, her chest tightening with a feeling she did not quite know how to name.

"How did this happen?" she murmured, more to herself than to him.

Ethan’s smile softened even further. "I think," he said gently, "we stopped pretending we did not care."

Kathrine held his gaze, the quiet intimacy of the moment settling around them.

"Agreed," Kathrine said softly, trying to sound firm even though her cheeks were warm. "But still, you will not do this again. You need rest too."

She meant it. Truly. Yet the giddy flutter in her chest betrayed her words. This version of Ethan, gentle and unguarded, was something she had never imagined existing. And judging by the way he paused on the screen, neither had he.

For a moment, he simply looked at her. Then he spoke, his voice quieter than before.

"I suddenly feel like being there with you."

The words crashed straight through her concern.

Kathrine’s lips curved into a foolish, uncontrollable smile. Her heart thudded loudly as she opened her mouth to reply, but the words never came. Something shifted on the screen. The image jostled as Ethan moved, the camera angle changing.

Her smile faltered.

"Ethan," she said slowly, her brows knitting together. "Where exactly are you right now?"

Instead of answering immediately, he grinned. That grin. The one that always spelled trouble.

Kathrine sat up abruptly, grabbing the phone with both hands. A chill crept up her spine, instinct screaming before her mind could catch up.

"Ethan," she repeated, sharper now.

"Inside your room," he replied calmly.

Her heart nearly stopped.

Kathrine’s gaze shot toward the balcony.

The glass sliding door was closed, curtains half drawn, but through the faint morning light she saw him. Ethan stood outside on the narrow ledge, tall and unmistakable, one hand lifted in a casual wave as if this was the most normal thing in the world.

Her breath left her in a rush.

"Oh my God," she whispered. "How did you even climb this high?"

Panic surged through her as she scrambled off the bed, nearly tripping over the sheets. She rushed to the balcony, fumbling with the latch as her hands trembled.

The door slid open.

Before she could say another word, Ethan stepped inside and shut the distance between them in one swift motion. The phone disappeared into his pocket as his hands framed her face, fingers sliding into her hair.

Then his lips crashed onto hers.

Kathrine gasped, his name spilling out only to be swallowed by the intensity of the kiss. He kissed her like restraint was no longer an option, like every hour spent apart had coiled into this single moment. His grip at the back of her head was firm but careful, anchoring her as he deepened the kiss.

"Ethan," she breathed again, the sound muffled as her hands instinctively clutched his shirt.

He did not stop. If anything, he kissed her harder, as though the world outside her room had ceased to exist. The shock melted into heat, fear dissolving into something dizzying and overwhelming.

When he finally pulled back, his forehead rested against hers, both of them breathing hard.

"You shouldn’t have moaned my name in your sleep, Kathrine. Now I can’t resist."