Broken Memories, Intertwined Hearts novel Chapter 394

Ethan rapped on the bedroom door a few times, only to find it was actually locked. He ran his hand through his hair in slight frustration and spoke softly, "Izzy, it's me, open up." At the moment, both kids were sprawled out on the big bed with Ines entertaining them. The sound of the knocking tickled her, and she couldn't help but laugh. She gently touched the faces of the two little munchkins. "Your dad's back, but how about we just ignore him, huh? He knows his stomach can't handle alcohol, but he still drank a ton. He's been at it for hours with no self-awareness. The three of us will sleep together tonight. We don't need him."

Olivia seemed to get the drift of what Ines was saying, and she giggled.

Ines flashed a smile, planting a kiss on her daughter's face. "Ivy, you think I'm making sense too, right?"

This time Ivy didn't laugh, perhaps it was the persistent sound of knocking at the door that caught her attention. Her little eyes roved around, searching for the source of the noise, just like Oliver.

Looking at their adorable faces, Ines felt a sense of satisfaction that was akin to hitting the jackpot. Having both a son and a daughter was simply the best. She wasn't really mad, just concerned. She knew Ethan was just enjoying himself, but he had been drinking for too long and she was worried about his frail stomach.

At first, Ethan didn't think much of it, but the alcohol was starting to hit him harder. Standing at the door, he felt slightly dizzy and knocked on the door again, "Izzy, open up quick, I'm a bit tipsy, and can barely keep my balance."

Ines, having been tricked by Ethan multiple times, wasn't going to fall for his words easily. After feeding the kids and putting them in their cribs, she went to sleep herself.

Ethan was indeed a bit drunk, and he leaned against the doorknob for support.

Beasley and Ashley's rooms were on the same floor. At this moment, Beasley came out of Ashley's room, and seeing Ethan's state, he couldn't help but chuckle. "Ethan, how come your booze tolerance seems to be getting worse?"

"My stomach's been acting up, and Izzy's had me on a booze ban for the past year, how could I possibly have any tolerance?" Beasley, being a soldier, had a much better tolerance than Ethan.

"Looks like mom was right, Izzy won't let you in. You should've known better and controlled yourself."

"Bro, don't rub salt in the wound, just go find the key for me." Ethan looked at Beasley helplessly. He was in this state because of him.

"Got it." Beasley chuckled, nodding his head, and went downstairs to find the keys.

As soon as he reached the second floor, Erica stepped out of her room and handed him a set of keys, "Give these to Ethan. I had a feeling this would happen, so I prepared them in advance."

"Mom, you're always one step ahead."

"You should also get some rest. I've tidied up your room, changed the bed sheets and everything. You can go straight to bed."

"Thanks, Mom," Beasley replied with a smile.

"No need to thank me. Your safe return is the best gift for me." Erica chuckled, then tried to dust off his hair, only to realize she couldn't reach it.

Recognizing her intentions, Beasley squatted down a bit, allowing Erica to brush the dust off his hair, "Alright, you're all dusty. Go take a shower and then hit the sack."

"Got it, Mom."

Ethan nodded, looking a bit wronged. "Izzy, you're so ruthless. I told you I was drunk and feeling terrible, but you didn't believe me."

Hearing him say this, Ines didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She took a closer look at his face and found it really was quite red; his eyes even had some bloodshot veins. She helped him up. With most of his weight on her, she could tell he really was drunk since his body was all limp, and he barely had any strength. Just as she was about to lay him down, she noticed his hair was full of dust, and even his clothes were covered in it. Curious, she asked, "Ethan, where did you go? How did you get so dirty, you're covered in dust."

Ethan chuckled and imitated the motion of smashing something. "My brother and I smashed the wall on the roof with hammers. I guess that's when I got dirty."

Ines gave him a playful shove. "Then you should go take a shower first. You're covered in dust, it won't be comfortable sleeping with you like this."

Ethan obediently replied, "Okay, but Izzy, you need to help me. I can barely stand right now."

Ines gave Ethan a helpless look. As his wife, she couldn't just ignore him. She had no choice but to help him into the bathroom, strip him of his clothes, and guide him into the bathtub. Then, she gently began to wash him. Even though they'd been married for some time, the two hadn't been this close for months due to her late pregnancy. Now, watching him lying there, completely unprotected in front of her, memories of sweet moments they'd shared came flooding back. In an instant, her cheeks flushed, her heartbeat became irregular, and her breathing heavy.

In the middle of her daze, Ethan suddenly cupped her face with both hands, grinning at her. "Izzy," he said. "How are you still this shy? We've been together for so long, yet you blush so easily. But I love seeing you like this. You're so cute."

"Cute, my ass. You just love to babble when you're drunk. Can you please just keep it down?"

"Izzy, are you mad at me?" Ethan looked at Ines curiously, like he'd just discovered a new world.

"I'm not mad, I'm just disgusted by how filthy you are." Ines swatted away Ethan's hands.