10. Ethan

10

Ethan

Damn if she’s not the most stubborn and beautiful woman in the world.

She’s scared and I can’t blame her at all.

I want more of her, but I’ll give her the space that she clearly needs right now.

“What’s wrong with Ellie?” Daniel asks as I walk back into the front part of the store and see him standing there looking around helplessly.

“She’s not feeling well,” I shrug nonchalantly. “What are you doing here?”

“Came to see if I could help her clean out one of the rooms. We’re slow at the shop and I’m fully covered. Why are you here?”

“We’re going over a marketing plan to make me the poster child of Sainthood.”

“Is that possible?” he teases.

“I guess we’ll find out.”

“Are you sure nothing personal has happened between the two of you?”

“We have a lot of history together and a lot of unresolved issues. We haven’t seen or talked in six years, there’s going to be a lot of weirdness between us.”

“I saw Dakota was here. She stormed out a few minutes ago, she did spend money though.”

“Yeah, we saw her.”

“I’m surprised Elena didn’t rip her throat out.”

“She was very stoic,” I laugh. “I tried to get away from Dakota as quickly as possible. I said hi and then ignored her.”

The front door of the store opens and Kiara walks in.

What in the actual fuck is happening right now?

She puts a hand on her hip and shoots me a dirty look.

“And just what is a hockey star doing in a backwoods clothing boutique, surely you’re not overhauling your image this way?” she snaps coldly. “Grams isn’t here anymore, so why are you here?”

“Do I need to say this slower?” I growl back at her. “We. Are. Not . Together. My whereabouts are none of your business.”

Daniel puts a hand on my shoulder and pulls me back a bit. He shakes his head.]

She wants me to engage and get nasty with her, she thrives off the chaos. I cannot give that to her.

“I deserve a second chance. We’re meant to be together. You know it as well as I do.”

“You deserve nothing from me at all. The fact that I’m even speaking to you right now is a gift. Please leave me alone. I will file for a restraining order if I have to.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” she laughs as she rolls her eyes.

Ellie comes out of the back. Her eyes lock on Kiara and Daniel before landing on me. She glances between the three of us.

First Dakota and now Kiara. Is the Universe trying to make her hate me more?

Kiara’s face darkens as she realizes why I came to the boutique.

“You did not,” she hisses. “You ditched me for this bitch?”

“You need to leave now.This is a reputable business and I won’t have you in here cursing like that,” Elena says calmly.

“Reputable?” Kiara cackles. “Aren’t you adorable? There’s no one in this ancient place but us. Your grandmother was well known and respected and you certainly don’t have her customer service or fashion skills, you’ll be the death of this place.”

Ellie’s eyes darken, before she glares at me and Daniel.

“I’m calling the police.”

“Kiara, you need to leave,” Daniel interjects.

She rolls her eyes and shakes her head. “I’m not leaving without my fiancé. He owes me a conversation.”

“Fiancé?” Ellie gasps as her face turns pale.

“I am not your fiancé. I owe you nothing.”

“This is not the place for your drama, take it elsewhere,” Ellie instructs coldly. “You have three seconds to leave before I push send on this call. I will have you both removed.”

“Come on, Kiara,” Daniel says as he starts to usher her out of the boutique.

“He was mine first, you can’t have him.”

“Technically, he was mine first but I don’t want dibs on him. You can have him.”

Ouch. Is she serious right now?

Yeah, she probably is. I can’t imagine how this looks to her.

She thought I cheated on her when we were together, which I never did. Then we just have incredible sex and my psycho ex-girlfriend decides to drop in.

Could this moment get any better?

I walk toward the exit.

“I’ll be back in a minute. This isn’t what it looks like,” I tell Ellie.

She rolls her eyes and turns away from me.

Damn it.

As I step outside, my parents are both getting out of their car at the same time.

Are you kidding me?

“Kiara! Ethan!” my mother exclaims excitedly as she rushes to hug Kiara. “I’m so happy to see the two of you together again.”

“Mrs. Anderson!” Kiara grins widely.

“We’re not back together, Mom,” I hiss.

“Nonsense, then why are you coming out of the boutique together?”

“Because I came to visit Ellie and Kiara just showed up.”

“Ellie?” Mom gasps. “As in Elena Thompson?”

“Yes, it’s her grandmother’s store, remember?” I laugh dismissively. “She’s back in town and taking over the boutique. She also agreed to be my PR manager.”

“Do you think that’s wise?” Dad interjects.

“She’s the best person for the job. She’s the reason the whole country knew my name in college.”

“Be that as it may, she also left you high and dry because she was too insecure to stay by your side,” Mom snaps.

“She doesn’t fit your lifestyle anymore, Ethan. Not only are you an athlete, but you own a hockey team. You can’t be seen with a woman like Elena Thompson.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

Dad opens his mouth just as Kiara steps in between us.

“That’s what I’ve been telling him too,” she purrs as she touches my dad’s arm gently. “He’s stubborn as you know. I fit his life, she definitely doesn’t.”

“Ellie doesn’t take care of herself. I heard she spent the last several years without a job, floating around from place to place mooching off people. If she’s back here it’s only because she’s hoping to get her claws into you again.”

“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard you say.”

I turn on my heel to walk away. My mother grabs me by the arm.

“Don’t walk away in the middle of a conversation. I forbid you to see Ellie again. I’ve never understood what your obsession with that fat, awkward girl was.”

Is she serious right now?

Kiara snickers. I shoot all three of them glares as I shake my head.

“How dare you say that about her. She’s an amazing, beautiful human being. She’s the only one who believed in me, who held me accountable, and pushed me to be better with absolutely no agenda attached which is more than I can say for the three of you. You don’t control who I date, mother. I’m an adult now.”

I walk right back into the boutique despite their attempts to cause more drama in my life.

“That looked like loads of fun,” Daniel laughs when I walk back in the door.

He’s standing near the corner of the store going through some boxes as he hangs clothes at the same time.

“Sometimes I don’t understand how I was born to them. I seriously believe I was switched at birth.”

“It says a lot that you’re not like them.”

“Where’s Ellie?”

“Bathroom.”

“Is she okay?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Because of that whole scene with Kiara.”

“Ellie isn’t that same insecure girl she was when you two were together. I don’t think it even phased her. She threatened to call the cops.”

“I’m aware. I see that she’s not the same woman.”

“Want to grab dinner later?”

My eyes flit back to the hallway that leads to the bathroom. I want to ask Ellie to hang out tonight so that I can explain Kiara to her. However, I also need to give her space.

“Yeah, I need to get out of the house.”

“Kiara will give up before long. She always does.”

I nod.

He’s not wrong.

Ellie comes back into the front of the boutique carrying two boxes.

“El, let me help you,” I offer.

She immediately tenses as I grab the boxes from her.

“Why are you still here?”

“I came back in to apologize for Kiara’s behavior. She’s not my fiancée.”

“Ethan, I don’t care who you’re dating or not dating. It’s none of my business. You’re my boss and it’s extremely unprofessional to be discussing these things.”

“I am your friend first.”

“Are you?” she laughs as she rolls her eyes. “In the future, I would appreciate it if you didn’t bring your drama into my store. This is a place people come to escape into, not be surrounded by it.”

“I didn’t know…”

She holds up a hand and stops me.

“It doesn’t matter. Our business meeting is over and I have to focus on my other job now. I’m sure you understand.”

Why is she being so cold?

“Can we talk about this in private?”

“No, thank you.”

She turns away and walks toward the back of the store. I start to follow and I hear Daniel clear his throat.

“You can explain Kiara later. She’s overwhelmed right now. Let’s head to dinner now.”

“Sounds good.”

“I’ll go tell her we’re leaving.”

“If she’s overwhelmed, should we be leaving?”

“I think it’s the best idea right now.”

He follows her to the back and I scrub my face with my hand quickly.

I’ll figure this out.

She’s stonewalling me right now but she won’t for long.

I know she still loves me and that’s what I have to remind her of.

***

“Home sweet home,” I chuckle as Daniel and I walk into Larry’s Sports Bar in the middle of Frostwood Falls.

The place gives off that ‘Cheers’ vibe where everyone knows your name and they treat you like family.

Probably because you’re a celebrity from a small town.

As we step into the bar, the aroma of sizzling food and the buzz of conversation envelop us. Daniel leads the way to a booth tucked in the corner, away from the crowd. We slide into the worn leather seats.

"Thanks for suggesting this.”

He chuckles, signaling the waitress for the menu. "I figured after the Kiara episode you could use a break and some familiarity. I’m sure it’s not easy seeing Ellie again either.”

“Kiara is ridiculous.”

“That’s the problem with letting someone slide so many times, they think they can break you again.”

“I don’t know why I ever gave her another chance anyway,” I sigh.

“Definitely not like you. I figured you were just tired of fighting everyone in your life.”

I look back at my best friend in shock.

That’s the truth of it all summed up into a neat little box.

How did he know that?

“That’s an understatement. My parents were out there telling me about how I should steer clear of Ellie.”

“We agree on something for once,” Daniel laughs.

I shoot him a dirty look.

“Don’t agree with them.”

“It was a joke.”

The waitress comes to take our order and the two of us sit there in silence for a full minute.

“I’m going to be thirty soon and my parents still treat me like a child. They don’t respect me or my decisions. My mom ordered me to stay away from Ellie. Who does that?”

“You sound like a whiny little bitch right now,” Daniel says bluntly.

I sit back and look at him in shock.

He’s right, of course.

Why do I let my parents get me out of my normal behavior?

“I do,” I chuckle as I shake my head. “I slipped into that victim mindset really quick. Thanks for pointing it out.”

“It’s what we do,” he shrugs with a laugh. “Listen, we all remember how bad that breakup sucked for Ellie and you. I know about it better than anyone because I was having to deal with both sides of it. You were devastated, Ellie was devastated, and it changed both of you.”

“Ellie was devastated?”

“Why would you ask it like that? Of course she was, you two were together for a while. You were making plans to get married and spend your life together and then it just ended.” “Because she ended it.”

“Those text messages were incriminating and you did nothing to explain them. What was she supposed to do?”

“She didn’t give me a chance to. Why didn’t you tell me any of this before?”

“You’re sounding like a whiny little bitch again. Why are you pointing the finger at her and not taking responsibility for your part in the breakup? Has being around my sister again caused you to slip back to who you were six years ago?”

“What? No.”

“It sure seems like it.”

I take a second to inhale and exhale deeply. I clear all of the old thoughts out of my brain.

Today has been a lot. My parents. Kiara. Dakota.

“You’re right again. I thought I was protecting her, but I wasn’t. I practically pushed her out the door with my immaturity and actions. I was too heartbroken to see it then. I don’t understand why you didn’t tell me she was having a hard time too.”

“Because it wouldn’t have changed anything. At that time, you two needed to be apart to find yourselves.”

“We’ve done that.”

"She has. You haven’t. I don't want you and her to start dating again."

“Why not?"

Daniel sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Because I've seen how it ends, Ethan. Your lives are too different still. She’s matured and you haven’t. You’ll fuck it up again and I’ll be consoling both of you, again."

I bristle at his words, feeling a surge of defensiveness rising within me. "You don't know that for sure. Things will be better this time."

"You’ve done a lot of work, bro. You have changed, but not enough if you immediately slip back into old bad habits the second that my sister is back in town. Ethan, you and Ellie are too different still. She's not like you. She doesn't want to live in the spotlight, to be constantly followed by paparazzi and headlines. She moves in silence, while everything you do is smeared all over social media."

I narrow my eyes, feeling a twinge of frustration bubbling beneath the surface. "So, what? You think I'm incapable of being with someone like her?"

"It's not about capability," Daniel says softly. "It's about compatibility. Ellie’s a bookworm. She doesn't drink, she doesn't party, she doesn't stay out all night. Those are all things that you do on the regular."

Maybe he's right. Maybe Ellie and I are just too different to make it work.

"But... we loved each other so much at one time," I protest, the words feeling feeble on my tongue.

“That was a long time ago. You have to think about what's best for both of you in the long run."

I fall silent, the weight of his words sinking in. Maybe it's time for me to reevaluate what I want, what Ellie wants, and whether we can find a middle ground.

I’m used to being told no. Along my career path, numerous people have told me that I’d never make it in hockey or anything. I’ve proved all of them wrong.

These feelings that I have for Ellie can’t be wrong. People are always going to tell you no, that you can’t do something. Nine times out of ten it’s because they’re projecting their fear onto you.

I know how Daniel saved my life when Ellie walked out on me. He dealt with a lot and never complained. I can’t imagine being caught in the middle of your sister’s and best friend’s breakup.

“I don’t want anyone but Ellie.”

“You haven’t given anyone else a chance.”

“I have.”

“Ethan, you can’t even stand up to your parents or show the world who you really are. The man the world sees and the man that I know aren’t even the same human. How do you think that you can have a healthy relationship with my sister when you don’t even know who you really are?”

Whoa.

I was not expecting that but damn if he’s not right.

Later that night I decide that it doesn’t matter how Daniel feels about it or anyone else. I love Ellie and I’m going to win her back.

First things first, I have to stop hiding who I really am to the world. I’ve let them all believe that I’m an entitled heir, a bad boy billionaire when that’s not me at all.

While I work on that, I’ll ask Ellie for help. And tomorrow morning I’ll show up at the boutique to help her with cleaning up the store.

I’m going to do everything I can to prove to her that I’m the man she deserves and that I’ve changed for the better.

I’ve spent so long not really caring how everyone else sees me but I never imagined that it would affect me when it came to the woman that I love.