Rachel sat alone in the kitchen, staring at the cup of tea in front of her. Andrew's absence was palpable, and the house felt emptier than it had in years.
Her phone buzzed with a message from Ethan: "I talked to Arnold. We're meeting again tomorrow."
Rachel's heart sank. She knew she couldn't keep avoiding the truth, but she wasn't sure she was ready to face it either.
The sound of the front door opening pulled her from her thoughts. Ethan walked in, his expression guarded.
"Hey," she said softly.
"Hey," he replied, sitting down across from her.
They sat in silence for a moment before Ethan spoke. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Rachel's eyes filled with tears. "I was trying to protect you, Ethan. I thought if you didn't know, you wouldn't have to deal with the pain."
"Well, it didn't work," Ethan said bitterly. "All you did was make me feel like I don't know who I am."
