Before Daniel asked, I’d had a recurring dream
about Ethan. He’d sneered at me, telling me not
to flatter myself. It stung, but as time went on,
the dreams stopped. Those six years felt like a
distant memory.
Olivia sometimes asked if I ever thought about
Ethan. I’d pause, then shake my head. “I hope
he and Olivia are happy together,” I’d say. “It’s
best we forget each other.” At least I was trying
my best to forget.
But a fow dove lator Donial and I ran into and
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But a few days later, Daniel and I ran into one
of Ethan’s college friends at a restaurant. He
rushed over, “Dude, why didn’t you call when
you got back-?” He stopped dead, staring at
Daniel in shock. Daniel looked a lot like Ethan,
except for the scar on his forehead and the fact
that he carried himself with a quiet strength,
not Ethan’s careless swagger.
Ethan’s friend looked back and forth between
Daniel and me. “Avery, is this-?” He seemed to
struggle for words. “Did you cheat on Ethan?”
I shook my head. “We broke up.”
He looked even more surprised. “Ethan said you
were still waiting for-”
I cut him off. “This is my fiancé. We’re getting
و,
married soon.”
He was stunned. He stared at our clasped
hands, then turned and hurried away, muttering
<
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554
into his phone. I started to explain to Daniel, but
he just laughed. “It’s in the past. Why bother
talking about it?” He brushed my hair back
from my face. “I can’t expect you to wait ten
years just because I was gone for ten years.”
Tears welled up in my eyes. I suddenly felt
overwhelmed with emotion. For the first three
years after Daniel disappeared, I clutched my
phone, waiting for news. It never left my side,
24/7. Every unknown number made my heart
leap. The first year, I hoped for a call telling me
he was injured, but coming home. The second
year, I just prayed he was alive. By the third, I
was terrified of every phone call, but I had to
answer.
When Ethan appeared, I was officially
diagnosed with severe anxiety and panic
disorder. His face was the only thing that kept
me going. Being his backup plan wasn’t easy,
but I couldn’t stay away from that face. I
needed it to survive.
Did I love Ethan? I didn’t know. But I was
grateful to him, so grateful that even when
everyone mocked me for being his second
choice, I didn’t care. For six years, in my eyes,
he was a good person, someone who saved me.
I thought I’d left a good impression on him, that
he’d at least remember me as being
understanding. I never expected him to call me
a liar, his voice laced with bitterness and
betrayal.
Ethan called late at night. I slipped out of bed,
careful not to wake Daniel. I figured he wanted
to pick up the stuff he’d left at my place, but
the moment I answered, he spat out, “Liar,” his
voice tight with barely controlled fury.
“You said he was your cousin! You lied to me!”
His voice was rough, low, stripped of its usual
casual arrogance. He sounded hurt, almost
childishly so.
<
I sighed, lowering my head. “I’m sorry.” The
apology came easily. It was a habit from those
six years. I was always apologizing to him. For
looking at him too much when Olivia was
around, for trying to hold his hand in front of
her friends, for calling him when he was with
her. Each time, I’d apologize, looking at his
face, saying I was sorry.
At first, he would hesitantly pat my head like a
child. “Just try to be better next time.” Later,
he’d watch me with an amused smile. “You’re
so cute when you apologize.” Eventually, the
rules stopped, but the apologies didn’t.
He paused, then gritted out, “An apology isn’t
enough this time, Avery. I’m really angry. I
should have left your boyfriend in that war
zone. Why did I bring him back, just to get
played for a fool?”
My face went cold. He didn’t seem to notice,
pressing on. “Did he touch you? Tell me, Avery,
<
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did he touch you?!”
