“Get. Out.” His voice was ice.
She scurried out, heels clicking on the
pavement. He was clearly in a foul mood. This
was going nowhere.
I turned to leave, but he stopped me. “Get in.”
Get in? I stared at him, incredulous.
“Aren’t we talking about old times‘ sake?” he
retorted.
My stomach dropped. I was suddenly afraid of
him. But I needed the money, so I got in.
He immediately turned the car around. We
drove in silence, the tension palpable.
“Ethan…” I ventured.
“Hmm?”
He seemed less angry now.
“I know I messed up the report, but others have
made similar mistakes and they weren’t
punished so severely…”
“So, because others have made the same
mistake, it’s no longer a mistake?”
I had no answer.
“We grew up together. I even defended you
from bullies. Even though you left and we lost
touch, you don’t have to be so…” I trailed off,
feeling pathetic. He didn’t react, which made it
worse.
After a long pause, he said, his voice low, “Who
left?”
“What?”
༦ད ད༦ སུད་འ༦ད, ཡ་ |
sighing
“The damagno
He glanced at me, sighing. “The damages can
be reduced. Come back to work. Different
position.”
I stared, speechless. He was offering me my job.
back? I couldn’t argue with that.
“Okay,” I whispered.
“Your boyfriend… is he good to you?” he asked
out of the blue.
I froze. Was he? He was stable, responsible,
took care of everything. My parents loved him…..*
“He’s great. My parents adore him,” I said,
trying to sound cheerful. His question unnerved
- me.
“Are you getting married?”
“We’re planning it. You’ll get an invitation,” I
said, emboldened by what I perceived as a thaw
“We’re here.” He didn’t answer, leaning back,
looking exhausted. I realized he’d driven me
home.
“Thanks.” I got out.
Before I could finish, he sped off. Rude.
I turned and saw Josh standing there.
“I saw you get out of a Bentley,” he said flatly.
Even though he was smiling, I felt guilty.
“It was my boss’s car,” I said, then corrected
myself. “It’s… someone I know. A childhood
neighbor.”
He paused, then reached for my hand. I
flinched. His smile faltered.
“Never heard you mention him.”
<
I took his hand. “Nothing to mention. He’s the
new boss, the one who fired me.”
He seemed to relax, then frowned. “You went to
him? He agreed to take you back?” His voice
rose with hope.
“Yeah.”
He squeezed my hand, relieved. “Good girl.
Sometimes you have to swallow your pride.
Since you know him, work your magic. Men can
be swayed. You might even get promoted.”
I looked at his happy face, unsure what he was
more excited about: my connection to Ethan or
the possibility of my career advancement. I felt
a strange tightness in my chest. I knew Ethan
wasn’t the type to be swayed.
Josh cooked dinner at my apartment.
Afterward, I curled up on the couch watching
- TV. He came over, put his arms around me, and
<
9:05
kissed me. He kissed me until he was
breathless, then pulled away, his voice husky.
“Amy, I can’t wait to marry you.”
“Oh,” I said, feeling nothing. “We can move it
up if you want. Whatever you decide.”
“I’m so busy these days,” he murmured, gazing
at me. “The venue’s booked for the end of the
year. Hard to change it now.”
“Okay.”
He nuzzled my neck, then got up to leave,
reminding me to lock the windows and check
the gas. I agreed. He was thoughtful, caring,
attentive. With him, I didn’t have to think.
I smiled wryly. Why did I always feel relieved
when he left? He was a good man. I wondered
what his reaction would be if he knew I
wasn’t… inexperienced.
It started raining again. The TV was background
noise. My mind drifted back to that night with
Ethan. I was 19; he was a few days younger.
“Do you hate me?” I’d asked him.
“I hate you hanging out with all those guys.”
“What? You think I’m a bad girl?” I leaned over
him, gripping his shirt.
“Yeah…” he whispered, his face burning.
“Well, this bad girl is going to kiss you. Are you scared?” I just wanted to rattle him.
His wide eyes told me he was. So, I kissed him.
His skin was soft, like a peach. I kissed him
again. Was this what a first kiss felt like?
When I looked up, his eyes were wet.
<
“Amy… get off. I don’t feel good,” he said, tears
rolling down his cheeks.
“What’s wrong?” I was confused.
“Are you even a girl?” he cried.
How we ended up… well, that’s between me,
Ethan, and the universe. I blame destiny, not
myself.
He cried and asked, “What are you doing this
for?”
He looked so pitiful, I patted his head.
“Teaching you a lesson. So, you’ll behave.”
He got angry then, told me to leave. So, I left.
I spent a few days recovering, wondering if I
should text him, maybe apologize. Then Olivia
told me he was leaving for college in the US.
He’d bought a house there, loved it, and
probably wouldn’t come back.
