14. Ethan

14

Ethan

I wake up with a smile already tugging at the corners of my lips, the warmth of Ellie's body pressed against mine filling me with a sense of contentment I haven’t felt in six years.

As I stretch and yawn, I marvel at the sight of Ellie sleeping peacefully beside me, her hair fanned out across the pillow like an auburn halo. I reach out to brush a stray strand away from her face, feeling a surge of affection wash over me at the simple gesture.

But my peaceful reverie is shattered by the incessant buzzing of my phone, the sound cutting through the quiet morning like a siren. I glance at the screen and my heart soars as I see a flood of notifications, all featuring pictures of me and Ellie from last night's dinner.

That’s definitely going to help my image.

I swipe to dismiss the notifications and my phone immediately starts vibrating again. I unlock it to find numerous missed calls from my mom and Kiara, and a sense of dread settles over me like a heavy fog.

Shit, did something happen to dad? Why would they call so much?

I climb out of bed and make my way to the kitchen, the hardwood floor cool beneath my bare feet. I take a deep breath and dial my mom's number, but it goes straight to voicemail. I try again, with the same result, my frustration mounting with each unanswered call.

As I start to call my dad’s phone, a text message from Kiara comes in.

I can’t believe you went out with that bitch last night! How could you betray me like this? She’s ugly and fat, she’s not worthy of you. You’re making me look like a fool!

Do not call or text me again. This is beyond pathetic, even for you.

I roll my eyes and go to her contact to block her number. She’s not getting the hint any other way, maybe this will do it.

I’m not dealing with this.

I run a hand through my hair in frustration.

Was she this crazy when we were together and I just missed it?

I try calling my mom again, but once again, it goes straight to voicemail. I leave her a hurried message, hoping she'll call me back soon.

Just as I’m about to walk back toward Ellie’s room my phone begins vibrating and my mother’s face appears on the screen.

“Mom, is everything okay?”

“How dare you cheat on Kiara!”

“What?”

“You’re so blatant and reckless. Don’t you realize that your image and actions affect the team and your family as much as they do you?”

“Mom, Kiara and I are no longer a couple. I told you this other day.”

“She told me that you two got back together after that.”

“No. We did not. We will not. Ever.”

“I am so disappointed in you, Ethan. Elena Thompson, really? Out of all the women that you’ve dated, or all the women at your beckon call, why on Earth would you settle for that?”

“Settle?”

“She’s beneath you in every way. You can do so much better than her.”

“Mom,” I growl. “You’ve always been too busy looking down your nose at people to see the reality of someone. If you actually got to know Kiara, you’d see what an entitled, brat of a human she is.”

“She comes from…”

“I don’t care. Back off or I’ll stop speaking to you.”

I hang up the phone even though I can hear my mother protesting on the other end.

I miss you.

Who is this?

Dakota, silly.

Don’t ever text me again. I’m with Elena and I’m not interested in changing that.

Are you kidding me right now? I haven’t talked to her in ages. Not since things blew up between Ellie and me. I’m certain that her seeing us together yesterday is the reason for the reach out.

She’s freaking married.

I blocked her number all those years ago, but apparently she got a new number.

I delete the message and block the phone number without a second thought. I walk back into Ellie’s room to see she’s still sound asleep.

I breathe a sigh of relief.

I watch as she sleeps peacefully, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. She looks so angelic, her features softened by sleep, her lips slightly parted in a gentle exhale. A lock of hair falls across her forehead, and I reach out instinctively to brush it away, my fingertips grazing her skin with the lightest of touches.

I am in awe of her beauty, at the way the morning light catches the auburn strands of her hair and the delicate curve of her cheek. In this moment, she seems so vulnerable, so perfectly imperfect, and I feel a surge of protectiveness wash over me like a tidal wave.

But beneath the surface, there's a storm raging within me. I remember the hurt and betrayal I felt six years ago when Ellie accused me of cheating without giving me a chance to explain. I remember the way she stormed out of the room, leaving me alone with my shattered heart and a sense of emptiness that I can't shake even after all this time.

I close my eyes, trying to push the memories away, but they linger like a stubborn stain, refusing to be erased. I remember the way her words cut me to the core, the way they pierced through me like a knife, leaving me raw and exposed. I remember the look of disbelief in her eyes as she watched me try to defend myself, the way she seemed to shrink away from me as if I were poison.

She begins stirring, her eyes fluttering open to meet mine. I feel a lump form in my throat as I look into her gaze, seeing the trust and vulnerability there. It’s as if the past has been washed away and we finally have a blank slate from which to work on.

"Hey," she murmurs, her voice soft and sleepy.

"Hey.”

She stretches languidly, a contented sigh escaping her lips as she settles back against the pillows. But even as she drifts back into sleep, I can't shake the feeling of guilt that gnaws at me from the inside out.

I watch her for a long moment, the weight of my conscience heavy on my shoulders. I want to reach out to her, to apologize for everything, but I know that words alone won't be enough to undo the damage I caused.

I have to prove to her that I’ve matured and that I’m faithful to her, that I always have been.

“Why did you let me sleep so late?” she asks.

“You looked so peaceful, I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“Thanks, I apparently needed it.”

“Do you need to get to the store?”

“Shit. Yes,” she sighs as she rolls out of bed.

“I’ll go in with you.”

Her eyes widen quickly. “Then everyone will know that we…”

“I’ll shout it from the rooftops.”

“No, I…”

“There’s already pictures of us all over the place.”

“What?”

I pull out my phone and scroll through the pictures and articles.

“Look, people are raving about how good we look together.”

She sighs and shoots me a dirty look.

“I don’t like being in the spotlight.”

“If you’re with me, then it’s kind of a given.”

“I never said I was with you,” she calls out from the bathroom.

“El,” I say as I go to the door. “Come on, you know as well as I do that we can’t be this close and not be together.”

She doesn’t look at me, just shuts the door in my face.

I blow out a breath and finish getting dressed in yesterday’s clothes. I go into the kitchen and start a pot of coffee. As I’m pouring the warm liquid into two mugs she walks in wearing a flowy, purple sundress.

“Good morning, beautiful. I made you some coffee.”

“Thanks. I need to get to the boutique.”

“Before that, I want to be completely transparent with you. Kiara and Dakota both texted me this morning. I blocked both of them.”

“Okay,” she replies as she gazes directly into my eyes.

I grab her wrist and pull her into me. I kiss her softly before letting her go. Her gorgeous green eyes bore into mine questioningly.

“I’ll see you in a bit.”

I leave before she can protest and drive the couple blocks to my house. As I approach the wrought iron gate to my house I notice a car parked in front of it.

Damn it, Kiara.

She’s blocked the front of the gate where I can’t get into my own house.

Good thing I changed the code to the gate, otherwise she’d be inside.

She’s sitting cross-legged on the hood of her car, a picture of anger and despair wrapped in one volatile package.

She sees me coming and stands up, her movements sharp and agitated. I can see the fire in her eyes even from a distance. I take a deep breath, preparing myself for what’s coming.

“Ethan!” Her voice slices through the silence as she approaches my car. “What the hell?”

“Good morning to you too, Kiara,” I say sarcastically.

“Don’t ‘good morning’ me!” she snaps, her voice rising. “Look at you. Still in your clothes from last night. Where were you?”

“It’s none of your business, but you already know that I was out. Please move your car so I can get inside my house.”

“Out?” She throws her hands up in frustration. “That’s all you have to say? Out? All night? You couldn’t even bother to change your clothes?”

Her eyes are wild, her voice a mixture of anger and hurt. But I know better. I know it’s mostly an act. I look around wondering if there’s a photographer hiding in the bushes somewhere. It would be just like her to stage something like this for publicity. I’m sure there are cameras recording somewhere.

She should know me well enough to realize that I keep my emotions in check, she’s looking for me to say something that she can turn around and use against me.

She won’t get that from me either.

“Why are you here?”

“We were a couple, Ethan. I messed up. I apologized and I told you that I want you back. You think you can just brush me off like I’m nothing?”

I sigh, running a hand over my face. “Kiara, we’ve been over this. We’re not together anymore. You need to move on.”

Her eyes well up with tears, and she takes a step closer. “Move on? Just like that? I moved here for you, Ethan. I left everything behind for you. And now you’re telling me to move on?”

“Yes,” I say firmly. “That’s exactly what I’m telling you. There’s nothing left here for you.”

She stares at me, tears streaming down her face. “How can you be so heartless?”

I pull out my phone and show her that I’m calling the police.

“Leave now or the cops will be involved. I’ve already blocked your phone number and won’t hesitate to file for a restraining order if you show up again. I’m done with this.”

She stands there for a moment, staring at me with a mixture of disbelief and anger. Then she turns, gets in her car and leaves.

Thank goodness.

Something tells me that this was a little too easy and that she’ll be back.

It didn’t have to be this way, but it is. I punch in the code to the gate, grateful that I had the foresight to change it. As the gate swings open, I drive inside.

My phone begins ringing and I see that Keeley is calling me.

“Hey Keeley,” I say.

“You need to get to the store right now. I can’t… I can’t even explain it over the phone and I don’t know what to do.”

“I’ll be right there.”

I instantly reverse and floor it to the boutique. My mind is racing with a million thoughts and none of them are good.