Page 58 of The Paris Chapter

Joe stepped closer to Ethan. ‘What the fuck has it got to do with you? You’re nothing to Tessa. You’ve known her a few days; we were together for six months. We were in love. She doesn’t want you. And for trying to take my girlfriend from me, you can think again about being part of my family any more.’

Ethan flinched and I knew that had hurt him. But to Joe, he shrugged. ‘Good. I don’t want to be part of it any more. I have always been so grateful for everything your family has done for me but Jesus, you like to remind me about it at every opportunity. You make me feel crap because I have a different background than yours. But as I see it, I’m happier than you’ve ever been so I don’t know why you’re so superior with me all the time. It’s not friendship, what we have. Not any more.’

‘What are you talking about?’ Joe asked with a laugh like he couldn’t believe Ethan was talking to him like this.

‘I’m done with us. And if you think Tessa would ever go near you again?—’

‘I can speak for myself,’ I reminded Ethan sharply. I was tired of being stuck in between the two of them like this.

He looked at me and shook his head. ‘Shit, I know, I’m sorry, but him thinking that you might take him back…’ His blue eyes flashed in anger.

‘Now Tessa knows I want her back, she’ll never go near you again,’ Joe replied with such confidence, I stared at him, stunned.

‘You want her back?’ Ethan asked in a quieter voice. His chest sagged like a deflating balloon, the fight going out of him.

Joe wrapped an arm around me. ‘We’re working things out, mate. I’m sorry.’

Before I could say anything, Ethan spun around and walked away. I watched him go for a second but I knew I couldn’t leave things like this, so I rushed after him, ignoring Joe calling my name.

‘Ethan!’ I managed to catch up with him and took his arm, forcing him to stop. Reluctantly, he turned to face me. ‘We need to talk.’

‘What’s the point, Tessa? Joe is back.’ He was avoiding my eyes.

‘What about us?’

‘Be honest, would you have ever looked twice at me if we hadn’t been forced to spend time together in that apartment?’

I didn’t know what to say. I shifted on the spot. ‘But we did spend all that time together and you know I enjoyed it and…’

‘Joe is your type and I’m not.’ Ethan shrugged.

I knew he had admitted to being jealous of Joe and having low self-esteem so I could see that witnessing my kiss with Joe had really hurt. ‘Joe’s kiss took me by surprise.’

‘You kissed him back; I saw.’

‘I was just about to pull away,’ I protested.

‘Were you?’ Ethan sighed. ‘Look, you clearly want to talk to Joe and try to sort things out, and I have a lot to deal with too. Joe’s father says I have the money for mine and Juliette’s restaurant after all.’

‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ I asked him, hurt he hadn’tcontacted me after their coffee chat. ‘What Joe had said, I thought I’d hear it from you. Instead, he was the one to tell me.’

‘I needed to tell Juliette; we’ve been talking about this for years.’

I nodded. I did get that. ‘I am happy for you; I just wish things with us were different,’ I said, thinking about how he soon would be building a life here in Paris. I wasn’t sure I could ever be part of it and I was too scared to ask if he thought I could be.

‘Me too, Tessa. Look, I need to go, and you should go back to Joe,’ Ethan said with a sigh.

‘So…’ I trailed off, feeling suddenly like I could cry. ‘That’s it then?’ I asked, wondering how just yesterday we had felt so close, and now I felt like this was the last time I was going to see him.

Ethan looked at me once before avoiding my gaze again. He nodded. ‘Goodbye, Tessa.’

I couldn’t think of anything else to say to prolong this conversation.

Ethan slipped his hands into his pockets and turned to go. Then he looked back at me for a moment. ‘We’ll always have Paris, right?’

‘Right,’ I choked out as he turned and walked off, slouching away into the Parisian crowds. I watched him go with a heavy heart.

‘Tessa.’

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