I decided to stay quiet.
We reached the lobby. He stumbled, clutching
his head. I rushed to his side.
“You okay?”
He pressed his fingers to his temples, then
looked up, a smile returning. “Can’t walk. Will
you help me?”
It was late. I wanted to get him into a cab and
go home. “Fine.” I reached out to steady him.
He hesitated, then leaned heavily against me.
He was surprisingly heavy.
<
9:07
92
“Don’t put all your weight on me!” I was about
to topple over.
A strong arm caught my waist, pulling me
against him. “Ethan! Get a grip!” I tried to push
him away.
He dipped his head, making me catch my breath. I braced myself for a kiss, but instead, he rested his head on my shoulder.
“Dizzy?”
“Mmm,” he mumbled.
Alcohol could lower blood sugar. I didn’t want
him passing out, so I let him lean on me. “Just
stay here for a few minutes, then we’ll get you
a cab.”
“Okay.”
The air crackled with awkwardness. His warm
<
breath tickled my ear. I didn’t know what to do
with my hands.
“Amy.”
“Hmm?”
“Are you short on cash?” he asked out of the
blue.
Me: blink blink
“No.”
“Then what were you calculating earlier?”
I froze. I couldn’t tell him about Josh and the
money.
“Uh… just figuring out when I can afford a
down payment.” I forced a laugh. “Mortgages.
are tough for us regular folks. Not like you.”
<
my chest that Olivia had described. I was
startled by my own reaction.
92
“What if… I did fall? Think someone would take
me in?” he asked, a playful smirk on his lips.
I didn’t reply.
The air was thick with unspoken tension. When
he reached out, I closed my eyes.
His fingers brushed my cheek, then tucked a
stray hair behind my ear. My heart pounded.
“Amy.”
“Hmm?” I tried to sound normal, but my pulse
was racing.
“I came back for one person,” he said, then
paused, his gaze dropping to the ground. When
he looked up, his eyes were red. “Because I
heard she was being blamed for everything, that
<
9:08
she wasn’t happy.”
I stared at him, speechless.
92
“I came back for her, Amy. I’m staying here for her.” His voice cracked. “I know I messed up. I shouldn’t have left. I’ll give her time to forgive me, to accept me. I can wait.”
I looked away, tears stinging my eyes.
“I just want her to know… I’ll always be here.
All she has to do is turn around.”
He reached for my hand. I flinched, but he held on. His hand was warm, comforting, almost
intoxicating.
“I won’t push you anymore.” He ruffled my hair.
“I’ll go now.”
The moment he let go, I fled into the elevator.
Back in my apartment, my heart was still
<
pounding, my palms sweaty.
Was that a confession?
If not, why did I feel so… breathless?
If it was, what was I supposed to do?
I barely slept.
The next day, I went to work with dark circles
under my eyes. My lawyer said I could sue Josh,
but it would be messy. I didn’t want my
relationship drama dragged through court. I
texted Josh the lawyer’s message, along with
screenshots of our conversations and bank
transfers, offering him a chance to settle
privately.
–
His reply came hours later — a photo.
My stomach dropped.
<
“Are you stalking me?”
It was a picture of Ethan and me from last night, taken from the angle where his head was on my shoulder. It looked like we were kissing.
“Amy, I was going to let the whole ‘Ethan–the- homewrecker‘ thing slide, but now I’m thinking I should send this to the press.”
“Are you insane?”
“Yeah, maybe. So, what’s it going to be? I’m not walking away with nothing.”
Nothing?
