The ballroom was as grand as Lia remembered Clearwater's elite events being. Crystal chandeliers cast golden light over polished floors, and the hum of chatter blended with soft violin music. Despite the glamour, all Lia could think about was Ethan's voice lingering in her ears.
She shouldn't have looked back at him. It was like touching a flame to see if it still burned.
She forced herself into a conversation with Caroline and a group of cheerful bridesmaids, nodding along to their excited chatter about floral arrangements and color palettes. But her heart wasn't in it. Her thoughts kept straying to the man standing on the other side of the room.
And then, as if drawn by some invisible thread, he approached her again.
"Lia."
Her name on his lips sent a shiver down her spine. She turned slowly, careful to keep her expression neutral. "Ethan," she replied, her voice steady.
The group around her quieted, sensing the tension. Caroline shot her a look—half apologetic, half curious—before gracefully excusing the bridesmaids, leaving the two of them alone.
"I didn't mean to interrupt," Ethan said.
"You didn't." Lia set her empty glass on a nearby table and crossed her arms, a defensive instinct she couldn't suppress. "What is it, Ethan?"
He hesitated, his hands tucked into his pockets. "I... just wanted to say it's good to see you."
Lia raised an eyebrow. "Good to see me?" she repeated, her tone sharper than she intended. "That's what you're going with?"
Ethan flinched, a flicker of regret crossing his face. "Look, I know this is awkward, and I'm probably the last person you want to talk to tonight, but—"
"You're right about that," she interrupted, stepping back. "So why are you here, Ethan? Because I'm pretty sure Clearwater Bay has plenty of people you'd rather see than me."
His jaw tightened, and for a moment, she thought he might walk away. But then he sighed, his shoulders slumping. "I didn't know you'd be here, Lia. If I had... I don't know."
She stared at him, searching his face for answers she wasn't sure she wanted. The years hadn't dulled the sharp lines of his jaw or the intensity of his gray eyes. If anything, time had only made him look more self-assured, more composed—traits she once admired, now tinged with bitterness.
"I didn't come back to Clearwater for you," Ethan continued, his voice softer now. "I came for work. The hotel renovation was a big project, and it brought me here."
"And you thought you'd just casually stroll into a gala and not run into anyone from your past?" Lia's voice carried a note of incredulity.
"I didn't think that far ahead," he admitted. "But now that I have... maybe it's not the worst thing."
Lia's heart clenched, though she tried to hide it. She shook her head, her expression hardening. "Ethan, whatever you're trying to say, don't. Let's not do this. We both know how it ends."
"Do we?" he asked, his gaze locking onto hers.
Her breath hitched. She wanted to say yes, to walk away and pretend this moment never happened. But she couldn't deny the flicker of doubt his words ignited.
Ethan seemed to sense her hesitation, but before he could speak again, Caroline's voice cut through the tension.
"There you are, Lia!" Caroline approached with her fiancé in tow, her eyes darting between the two of them. "Everything okay here?"
Lia forced a smile, her mask of composure slipping back into place. "Of course. Just catching up."
Ethan gave her a long, searching look before nodding politely to Caroline and walking away. Lia watched him go, her chest tight with emotions she couldn't name.
"You sure you're okay?" Caroline asked, touching her arm gently.
"Yeah," Lia lied, picking up another glass of wine. "Let's just focus on your wedding."
But even as the evening continued, Lia couldn't shake the echo of Ethan's words—or the questions they stirred in her heart.