17. Ellie

17

Ellie

I step into Café Solstice, the cozy, bohemian restaurant Ryan suggested for our meet-up. The air is filled with the warm scent of freshly baked bread and aromatic herbs. Soft jazz music plays in the background, blending with the hum of conversations and the clinking of silverware against plates. The decor is eclectic, with mismatched chairs, colorful tapestries on the walls, and fairy lights strung across the ceiling, casting a gentle glow over the tables.

I spot Jaclyn at a corner booth, her bright red hair impossible to miss. She’s already waving enthusiastically, a big smile on her face. I weave through the tables, smiling at the familiar faces of the townspeople.

“Elena!” Jaclyn exclaims, standing up to give me a hug. “It’s so good to see you!”

Fuck. Turn around and walk out of here right now.

She rushes over to me, grabs my arm, and tugs me toward the table.

“Jaclyn, you’re not my friend. I’m not going to pretend that you didn’t…”

“Oh, Elena,” she giggles in a weird voice in my ear. “Don’t make a scene right here in front of the entire town. It’ll look so bad on your business when people realize you’re crazy.”

What the fuck?

Did Ryan invite her to meet us here?

“Sit, sit, eat with me.”

“I’m meeting Ryan for dinner.”

“Perfect, it’ll be like old times. He won’t mind.”

She tugs me into the booth, and a waiter quickly appears with menus. Jaclyn immediately starts talking about the specials, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Before we can decide on what to order, I see Ryan walking in. His eyes scan the restaurant, and when he spots us, his expression shifts from casual to irritated.

What’s with him today?

“Ryan!” Jaclyn calls out, waving him over.

He approaches with a puzzled smile, clearly not expecting to see both of us.

“Hey, El, I thought you and I were just meeting up.”

“We figured it was about time we all got together,” Jaclyn says, her grin widening. “Come on, sit down.”

Ryan slides into the booth next to me, his presence bringing a subtle shift to the atmosphere. We exchange pleasantries, catching up on the basics of each other’s lives as we peruse the menu. The waiter returns, and we place our orders. Jaclyn goes for the roasted vegetable lasagna, Ryan opts for the steak frites, and I choose the grilled salmon with a side of quinoa salad.

All I have to do is get through this hour or so and then I’ll avoid her at all costs. I’ll eat, make nice, and then leave.

The conversation flows easily as we reminisce about high school. Jaclyn recounts the time she convinced the entire class to participate in an impromptu flash mob during lunch hour, and we all burst into laughter.

“And remember that crazy biology project?” I say, laughing. “We had to make that ridiculous video about the human digestive system.”

Ryan chuckles, shaking his head. “I still can’t believe Mr. Klotz actually let us use that as our final project. We were such nerds.”

“Nerds or not, we aced that class,” Jaclyn points out, raising her glass in a mock toast.

Dinner continues, a comfortable blend of past memories and present updates. Ryan tells us about his recent promotion at work, while Jaclyn talks about her latest adventures. I share a bit about my travels and the boutique.

Something feels off about everything.

As the plates are cleared away and dessert menus offered, Ryan leans back in his seat, a thoughtful expression on his face.

“You know, it’s still early. How about we head over to Rascal’s for a few more drinks? Keep this reunion going.”

“Rascal’s?” Jaclyn says, her eyes lighting up. “I haven’t been there in ages! I’m in.”

“I don’t know. I’ve had a really long day and…”

“Nonsense!” Jaclyn waves dismissively. “You’re so hard to pin down, just go for one drink and live a little. You can’t possibly still be that boring little Ellie.”

“Speaking of a long day, are you ready to talk about why all the cops were there?” Ryan queries.

“Cops? What?” Jaclyn gasps.

“Just a minor snafu when we were organizing the store. Nothing big.”

Both of them look at me as if they don’t believe me, but I don’t care.

“I bet if we get a few drinks in her that she’ll tell us everything,” Jaclyn teases.

Rascal’s has always been a hotspot for good times, but I would rather be at home with a good book.

I really want to text Ethan and see if he wants to come over.

We settle the bill and make our way out of Café Solstice. As we step onto the sidewalk, the cool evening air wraps around us. Jaclyn walks ahead, her phone out as she texts a friend about meeting us at Rascal’s. Ryan hangs back slightly, and as we reach the corner, he gently pulls me to the side.

“Can we talk? That was the whole point of dinner tonight. Why did you invite Jaclyn?”

“I didn’t. She was just here. You know how she is? What is it, Ryan?” The intensity in his eyes makes me uneasy.

He takes a deep breath, his eyes never leaving mine. “I’m in love with you. I have been for a long time. I know this might come as a shock, but I can’t keep it to myself any longer. I want a chance for us to be together.”

For a moment, I’m stunned into silence. The world around me seems to blur as his words sink in. Ryan, my old friend, is in love with me. I struggle to find the right words, my mind racing.

Ethan was right. Damn it.

“Ryan, I... I don’t know what to say. This is so unexpected.”

“Just think about it, Elena. That’s all I’m asking.”

“Ethan and I... we’re back together.”

“I see. I didn’t know. But I had to tell you how I feel.”

“I understand,” I say softly, feeling a pang of guilt. “I value our friendship so much, Ryan. I don’t want to lose that.”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Why do you two look so serious?” Jaclyn whines loudly as she shakes her head. “Tonight is about fun!”

When we arrive at Rascal’s, the familiar neon sign glows brightly, and the sounds of laughter and music spill out onto the street. Inside, the bar is bustling with people, and the atmosphere is lively. We find a table near the back, and Jaclyn immediately heads to the bar to order drinks.

“Oh, Ethan is here,” Jaclyn says excitedly. “I hope you don’t mind, Elena, I invited him to hang out with us.”

“Why?”

“I thought it would be fun. We’ve been talking for a while now, I hope you don’t mind. I know you said you were over him and…”

Ryan’s eyes narrow and dart to mine as if to say I told you so. I’m a little taken aback especially since Ethan just told me he didn’t care for her or Ryan.

“Have at it,” I say lightly while putting my hands up in the air.

Let’s see how this plays out.

“Ethan!” Jaclyn squeals as she waves excitedly and hurries over to him.

He pulls back in shock when he sees her, then his eyes land on me. He grins, stands up, steps out of Jaclyn’s way and comes directly to me as he engulfs me in a hug.

“What are you doing here?”

“Ryan thought we should get a few drinks and hang out a bit longer before we call it a night.”

“Why haven’t you been answering your phone? Daniel and I have been trying to get a hold of you.”

“I didn’t…” I say as I pull my phone out and look at it. “Oops, I shut it off earlier and didn’t turn it back on.”

“Someone tried to break into the boutique,” Daniel says quietly.

“What?” I gasp.

“They didn’t get in. The security alarm went off and scared them, I guess.”

“Nothing was stolen?”

“No, they have a suspect that they’re looking for. Someone they saw running away. Minimal damage to the outside door.”

“I should go…”

“No, we took care of it,” Ethan says. “Enjoy the night out.”

“Sis,” Daniel whispers in my ear. “Why are you with Jaclyn and Ryan?”

“We’re hanging out,” I murmur back.

He shakes his head as he pulls away. He flags down the bartender and orders a round. Jaclyn is practically throwing herself at Ethan’s feet, but he’s as close to me as possible and ignoring her.

I watch her carefully and inhale slowly.

When we were in high school and college, she used to do the same thing but I never commented on it because I told myself that I was reading too much into it.

I’m now realizing I wasn’t.

“Shit.” Daniel breathes.

I follow his gaze to the door and see Dakota coming in with a few other women.

Dakota is not originally from Frostwood Falls, she and Daniel met in college. When she graduated she randomly met someone we went to high school with and married him.

What are the odds?

She squeals loudly as she rushes over to hug Daniel and Ethan. She doesn’t acknowledge me this time.

Ethan pivots before she can hug him and throws his arm over my shoulder. Dakota chuffs before rolling her eyes and throwing herself at my brother.

“How’s that husband of yours?” Daniel asks as he gently moves her hands off him.

“Out having his own fun.”

Suddenly, a commotion erupts from the corner. The sharp sound of a chair scraping across the floor, followed by a loud crash, pierces through the chaos. My head snaps in that direction, and I see two men locked in a scuffle. One of them throws a punch, and the other stumbles back, knocking over a table.

"Hey, watch it!" someone shouts as drinks spill, glass shattering on the floor.

"What the fuck is going on?"

I see Ethan push through the crowd, his expression darkening when he recognizes one of the fighters. It’s Jeremy, one of his players. Ethan's eyes flash with anger as he strides forward, fists clenched at his sides.

“Jeremy, what the hell are you doing?” Ethan bellows, his voice carrying over the noise.

He looks ready to jump into the fray himself.

“Back off, Ethan!” Jeremy snarls, shoving his opponent. “This asshole needs to learn some manners.”

The other man, stocky and red-faced, retaliates with a growl. “You started it, you prick!”

I can see this escalating fast, and the last thing we need is the cops showing up. I down the rest of my whiskey, the fire in my belly giving me the courage I need, and make my way over to the fight. I push through the throng of onlookers, feeling their curious and excited eyes on me.

"Enough!" I shout, planting myself between Jeremy and his opponent. “This ends now.”

“Get out of the way.”

“No. This isn’t the place. You’re better than this. You also don’t need any more bad press.”

The other man tries to lunge at Jeremy, but I hold up a hand to stop him. “And you. Sit down and shut up before you make things worse for yourself.”

Ethan is at my side now, his face a mask of fury and concern. “Jeremy, what the fuck happened?”

Jeremy wipes blood from his lip, his chest heaving. “This piece of shit was mouthing off about the team, saying we’re a bunch of losers.”

“And you thought fighting him would help?” I snap, my patience wearing thin.

“He disrespected us!”

“And now you’re disrespecting yourself. Who cares what some dude in a bar says about the team? Is he out on the ice putting in the work with you? No. He’s on a barstool running his mouth, take it with a grain of salt.”

For a moment, it looks like Jeremy might argue, but then his shoulders slump. He looks away, shame replacing the anger in his eyes.

“Fine,” he mutters. “I’m outta here.”

Ethan steps forward, placing a hand on Jeremy’s shoulder. “Go cool off, man. We’ll talk later.”

The crowd starts to disperse, disappointed that the excitement is over. I exhale slowly, my heart still racing. I turn to see Ethan looking at me with a mixture of gratitude and something else I can’t quite place.

“Thanks, Ellie,” he says quietly. “I don’t know what would’ve happened if you hadn’t stepped in.”

“Just doing what I had to,” I reply, trying to calm the adrenaline still pumping through my veins.

“Jeremy, do you know who that was?” Ethan asks angrily.

“Two douchebags.”

“Chuck Davies and Flynn Tagart, both are bench players for Silverton.”

“Your rivals?” Daniel asks. “What are they doing in town?”

“Looking for trouble, I think,” Ethan adds as he shakes his head.

I follow his stare and see one of the men laughing as he gives Ethan a two finger salute.

Did they start the fight with Jeremy on purpose?

But why?

I can’t handle all of this chaos.

I turn to leave, but then I see Jaclyn and Dakota are standing close to Ethan, Dakota’s hand resting on his arm. Ryan is glaring at me from across the room, his jaw set in a hard line. And then there’s Daniel, his expression puzzled and searching.

I can feel the weight of their stares, the unspoken questions and judgments. I’m irritated that there are two other women vying for the attention of the man I love and right now, I’m just too tired to deal with any of it.

My chest tightens, and I realize I need to get out of here. The bar feels too small, the air too thick.

“Ellie, wait,” Ethan calls, but I shake my head.

“I need some air,” I say, not looking back.

I push through the door and step out into the cool night, the noise of the bar fading behind me. I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself.

The street is quiet, a stark contrast to the chaos inside. I lean against the wall, closing my eyes and letting the night air wash over me. My mind is a whirlwind of emotions—relief that the fight didn’t escalate, frustration at the tension that lingers between me and the others, and confusion about what any of it means.

Is Ethan worth all of this chaos?

Will I spend the rest of my life exhausted from loving him and the drama that follows him?