"That sounds nice, I could use the fresh air." I answered. Ethan extended his elbow and I put my hand on his arm. He escorted me out the door into the evening air.
After we'd walked far enough away that no one could overhear us, Ethan turned to me and asked, "Why didn't you ever tell me you were his daughter?"
"Maybe because I just found out today." I shrugged and my answer seemed to take Ethan by surprise. "Apparently it was part of the agreement between my parents. My Mom knew that if it was known who my father was she wouldn't have been allowed to raise me. So they told no one who my father was, even me. The only contribution my father made was to send me to summer camp and paying for my education. So you can thank him we ever met, or not however you want to view it."
Ethan nodded, "Sera, I am not sorry we met, I am sorry we lost touch. My family was pressuring me to be what they raised me to be and I wasn't strong enough to defy them. I wish we would have known who your father was, it would have made it possible for us to be together. Please say you don't hate me." He had such a pathetic look on his face but I kept him waiting and he added, "Because I still care for you." Okay that part broke my barriers down a bit. I wanted to trust him with my heart again, but I was a bit gun shy. Which is ridiculous if you think about it since technically my heart only wants him still. Talk about a walking contradiction.
"Ethan, I don't hate you. I couldn't hate you. I may have told my Mom that cruise was to celebrate but it's actually because I didn't want to be in the country when you got married. I couldn't handle watching you with someone else. So I made sure I'd be gone and unplugged when you got married. I also didn't know how you felt about me, we haven't talked in years, you were about to be married. I've seen some of the press coverage and you two looked like you cared about each other."
"On my part that's because when I needed to look affectionate with her I'd always imagine you." Be still my heart. He had better not be playing with my emotions. "I was worried in there because you seemed so distant."
"I need to act indifferent around my father so he doesn't think I'm a pawn he can yank into the game at the last minute when he needs me to fulfill a role. No one knows that we like each other, it would be weird if we started being best friends after just meeting. Especially Mr. Ice King. "
"Sera, I don't want you to feel like a pawn, but I want you to know that people have labeled me as not capable of feeling love because I only ever wanted you. And since I couldn't have what I wanted, I gave off an air of aloofness. That's why I'm Mr. Ice King and all those other silly names. Please say you'll marry me, I'll spend the rest of my life making up for giving up on us. It really has been the biggest regret of my life." Oh how I wanted to jump into his arms and marry him right then. Curse the inner 14 year old that was not easy to hold back.
"Ethan, I'd love nothing more, but we don't know each other anymore. And I don't want our families to see how much we care for each other. I feel that could backfire, and I don't want that to happen. Can we pretend we are willing to see if we get along but act more aloof towards each other around them?" I also wanted to make sure he wasn't going to bail again, I wanted to believe him. I really did, but he said he'd fight for me before and he may have but he obviously gave in and stopped.
"I think we could so something like that, as long as you understand that by doing so I'm going to be cold and indifferent toward you. I do think we can use coded language in cases when you may feel pushed away so you know I'm not actually indifferent toward you – like the eye color conversation tonight. Things that only we know."
"I think that would be a good idea, but we also can't let our facial expressions betray our true emotions. So probably lighter things that won't evoke stronger reactions. I am not as practiced at not betraying my emotions on my face as you are. Although you did break your mask when you saw me at the table." I smiled at the memory of his shocked face.
"I was beyond shocked to see you, and I'm so glad it's you and not someone else. I feel as we've been given a second chance on our love and I'm not going to let it go to waste. My Mom is the one who not so subtly suggested we walk out here, I think it was to give me time to try to talk you into it. But what she doesn't know is that if it were anyone else but you, I would have been cold and indifferent. I could have backed out of the plans our parents made because of the actions of Charlotte and not worried. But since it's you, I'm going to try my best to convince you to marry me, as soon as possible."
"Convince me? How?" I was just toying with him at this point but it was fun.