apter 16
Once they were away from the unpleasant encounter, Adele quickly released than’s arm.
“Thank you,” she said awkwardly, unable to meet his eyes.
Ethan felt a pang of disappointment at the sudden emptiness where her hand had been.
“Don’t mention it. 1…” After running into Byron, Ethan suddenly lost patience with his slow burning approach. He wanted something official, a legitimate reason to stand beside Adele and support her.
“Adele, 1…”
Adele wasn’t oblivious. Over these past weeks, she’d clearly sensed Ethan’s feelings.
She’d initially planned to gently turn him down, but he’d always deflected with humor whenever things got too serious. Yet after all their time together, she couldn’t bring herself to reject him outright anymore.
She felt like she was falling in love with him. She needed to take things slowly, which was why she’d allowed Ethan to gradually become part of her
life.
But she wasn’t ready yet, so she cut him off.
“How about we have some lunch? I’m starving.”
Seeing her attempt to change the subject stung, but Ethan wasn’t one to shy away. He’d already missed his chance with Adele for too many years. He wasn’t going to wait any longer.
“Adele, I’m in love with you.”
His confession left her frozen in place, silent for what felt like an eternity.
“I’ve been crazy about you since freshman party. I was going to introduce myself, but I was swamped taking over my family’s business. When I have time, you already had boyfriend.”
“I kept telling myself ‘It’s just a college fling, they’ll break up eventually,‘ so I will wait for you. Then in your engagement party. The way you looked at him that night… God, I knew I didn’t have any chance.”
“After the wedding, I deleted your number, unfollowed your socials–the works.““Then out of nowhere, you show up in Lake Haven of all places. When I heard about the divorce, I’m extremly happy.”
“Adele. I’m completely, ridiculously in love with you.”
Ethan was sanitizing the truth. He’d never intended to remain just friends, and he hadn’t truly accepted her marriage. He’d been calculating ways to break them apart for years.
If not for his car accident and lengthy recovery, he would have made his move long ago. Scarlett’s appearance and the resulting divorce felt like the thing finally aligning in his favor. He recognized he was capitalizing on her vulnerability, but couldn’t bring himself to feel guilty.
“I had no idea,” Adele finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. “All this time?“.
Hearing the emotion in her voice, Ethan gently pulled her into an embrace. His darker impulses dissolved instantly. He could be patient.
“I do have some feelings for you,but I just signed divorce papers. I’m terrified of a new relationship. Can you understand that?”
“That’s all I need to know,” he said softly. “Just don’t push me away. I’ll come to you,alright?”
As Ethan’s warm hand enveloped her cold fingers, Adele felt somethin chattering inside her shift.
Her phone buzzed insistently with calls from an unknown number.
She reached over and powered it off completely, watching the screen go black as Ethan poured her another glass of crisp wine.
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Chapter 17
Chapter 17
Realizing he no longer held importance in Adele’s life left Byron deeply unsettled until they’d retu
