Chapter Seven
I wasn't sure what I was doing when I sent Ethan that message.
All I knew was that my mind had been spinning since I walked out of his office. The moment I saw that woman—Sofia—it was like everything I'd been trying to avoid came rushing toward me at full speed.
Complications. Emotions. Attachments.
The kind of things that left scars if you let them in.
Still, as much as I hated to admit it, seeing her made something twist uncomfortably in my chest. Jealousy? Maybe. Fear? Definitely.
But underneath it all, there was something else.
Hope.
Because if I was being honest with myself, I wanted Ethan to fight for this—for us. Even though I told myself not to get attached, I already had. And it scared me more than anything else ever had.
I paced the length of my apartment, waiting for the inevitable knock at the door. When it finally came, my heart leapt into my throat.
Taking a deep breath, I opened it to find Ethan standing there, his expression equal parts determined and uncertain.
"You came," I said softly, stepping aside to let him in.
"You asked," he replied, his voice low.
He looked around my small apartment, a space I'd barely bothered to make feel like home. The walls were bare, the furniture minimal. It was a reflection of my life—temporary, unrooted, always ready for the next move.
Ethan turned to me, his eyes searching mine. "Aria, I need to know where we stand. I can't keep doing this if you're halfway out the door."
I swallowed hard, closing the door behind him. "I don't know what to tell you, Ethan. I'm trying, but this is all new for me."
He took a step closer, his voice softening. "New doesn't mean impossible. You don't have to run, Aria. Not this time."
His words hit me in a place I wasn't ready to confront, and I turned away, wrapping my arms around myself. "And what happens when it all falls apart? What happens when someone gets hurt?"
"Then we deal with it," he said firmly. "Together."
I felt his hands on my shoulders, gentle but grounding. "You're not alone anymore, Aria. You don't have to keep fighting by yourself."
His words broke something inside me, and before I could stop myself, I turned to face him.
"Why me?" I asked, my voice trembling. "Why are you so willing to fight for this?"
Ethan cupped my face in his hands, his gaze steady and unyielding. "Because I see you. The real you. And I know you're worth it."
Tears pricked at my eyes, and I hated how vulnerable I felt in that moment. But Ethan didn't pull away, and for once, I didn't either.
Instead, I leaned into him, letting myself feel the warmth of his presence.
For a moment, everything else—the doubts, the fears, the complications—faded away.
But then the moment shattered.
My phone buzzed on the counter, and I instinctively stepped back, wiping at my eyes. Ethan frowned, his gaze flicking to the phone.
"Are you going to get that?" he asked.
I shook my head. "It's probably nothing."
But the buzzing continued, insistent, until I finally sighed and picked it up.
The name on the screen made my blood run cold.
"Evelyn."
Ethan noticed the way I froze, his brows furrowing. "Who's Evelyn?"
I hesitated, my fingers gripping the phone tightly. "She's... someone from my past."
His expression darkened slightly, but he didn't press. "Do you need to take it?"
I shook my head, silencing the call. "No. It can wait."
But the truth was, it couldn't. Evelyn wasn't the kind of person to call without a reason. And if she was reaching out now, it could only mean trouble.
Ethan watched me carefully, his concern evident. "Aria, what's going on?"
I opened my mouth to respond, but the words wouldn't come. How could I explain Evelyn to him? How could I tell him that she was a reminder of the life I'd been trying to escape?
The phone buzzed again, and this time, a message popped up on the screen.
We need to talk. Now. It's important.
I felt Ethan's eyes on me as I stared at the message, my heart pounding.
"Aria," he said gently. "Who is she?"
I took a shaky breath, meeting his gaze. "She's someone I thought I left behind. But it looks like she didn't stay there."
The look on Ethan's face told me he wasn't going to let this go. And as much as I wanted to keep him out of this, I knew I couldn't anymore.
The past I'd been running from had finally caught up to me. And if I wasn't careful, it could destroy everything.
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