Page 9 of The Secrets We Treasure

“The heck you weren’t!” she shot back.

He continued, his voice controlled and placating. “I wanted your reaction to be authentic.”

“Seriously? That’s your excuse?”

“I know you’re upset because you were caught off guard. For that, I’m sorry.”

She just glared at him.

“When you look at this rationally, you’ll realize that I’m right.” He paused, going teary-eyed. “I love you, Treasure. I always have.” His voice gathered emotion. “I want us to build a life together. Surely, you can see that the two of us are meant to be together. Please, give me a chance to show you how happy we can be.” His voice grew nostalgic. “The time we dated was the best of my life.”

Weariness settled over Treasure. She wanted to go home and forget this night had ever happened. Her words sounded flat in her own ears. “Look, Ethan. I don’t want to hurt you. You’re a good manager and friend.”

“But?” he fired back.

She sucked in a breath, wishing she were anywhere but here. “But I don’t love you. Dating you was a mistake.” There. She’d finally said it. Even in the midst of the emotional hurricane, she felt like a weight had been lifted off her chest.

His face fell. “Don’t say that.” He caught hold of her hands and enfolded them in his. “You’re upset, confused. Now’s not the time to make any hard-and-fast decisions.” He spoke faster, his voice taking on a new hope. “We can take things slow. Engagements can last for years.”

“We’re not a couple,” she seethed. “You just don’t get it.”

A hard light snapped in his eyes. “What changed?”

She stiffened. “What do you mean?”

“You were fine with us dating before. What changed?”

“Don’t do this, Ethan.” She felt the blood drain from her face. She’d been careful to downplay her friendship with Greer. Had Ethan somehow discovered how Treasure truly felt? Wait a minute. She couldn’t go down this rabbit hole. So what if Ethan knew! She was a grown woman and shouldn’t have to hide her feelings about Greer. And yet, she hadn’t wanted to tell Ethan and have him make her life miserable. Ethan was so intertwined with her career and handled so much for her that she couldn’t imagine going it alone. It had been easier to just let things ride. Maybe some good would come out of tonight. Ethan had forced her hand, and now she was speaking her mind. She straightened her shoulders, looking him in the eye. “What’re you trying to say?”

His voice shook with fervor. “When we started dating, it was as if everything was finally shifting into its proper place.” A tiny smile tugged at his lips. “We’re the dynamic duo. Surely, you must have some feelings for me.”

She felt his vulnerability wrapping her in a tight hold. The problem with having a hard conversation with Ethan was that he was dang good at turning things around to suit his wishes. She pushed out a long breath. “I don’t want to do this with you tonight. I’m exhausted.”

Victory flashed in his eyes. “You do care.”

“Of course, I care,” she snapped. “But not in the way you care for me. I’m trying to be honest here, but you’re not getting the message.” Hadn’t she just said that dating him was a mistake? There seemed to be a disconnect with Ethan.

He pressed his lips together in tight lines. She could tell he was weighing her words and trying to decide how to respond. Ethan approached life as a chess game, always staying a few steps ahead of his opponent. He was take-charge and goal-oriented, never giving up on his aspirations. That’s what made him such an excellent manager. When it came to dealing with him on a personal level, Ethan could be an insensitive jerk. He would eventually have to learn that no amount of bullying would change her mind. The two of them would not end up together. And that was that.

“Okay,” he relented.

“Okay, what?” she pressed.

He rolled his eyes. “I hear you.”

She searched his face, wanting to believe him but not certain that she could. “Okay,” she finally sighed. “Now that we’ve got that established, how do we fix this tangled mess that you got us into?”

He didn’t answer right away. “We let it ride out for a couple months and then announce that we decided to be friends.”

Her voice pitched high. “A couple months?”

“Yes,” he said evenly. “If we immediately break off our engagement, it will make you look flighty.”

She ground her teeth. “That won’t work.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m not comfortable with it,” she blustered, thinking of Greer. Her phone buzzed. Was that him texting?

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