“No, we were just friends. But she always spoke kindly of you. Heck, there wasn’t a frame in her bedroom that didn’t have a picture of the two of you in it.”
A sad smile spread across his face. “Sounds like Addison.”
Of all the places and all the changes, I had run into him. My Alex.
“Look, I know this will sound mental.” Alex ran a hand through his shaggy blond hair. “But do you want to get something to eat with me?” He glanced at Ethan then back at me. “Or maybe another time?”
Ethan had always made it sound as if time on Earth passed so quickly that I would never see Alex or my family again, but here we were.
“Sure, um, I’ll give you my number.” I pulled my phone out and sent a message to the number he rattled off to me.
“Well, it was nice meeting you.” He smiled and saved my number. “Um, what is your name?”
“Ad—” I quickly corrected myself. “Adelaide.”
“Well, it was nice meeting you, Adelaide.”
I watched him walk away. I just couldn’t take my eyes off him. I had just had a conversation with Alex, and it felt like a conversation with a ghost.
I shifted my gaze to Ethan.
He hadn’t moved.
His expression hadn’t changed.
And he hadn’t made an effort to explain himself.
“What?” I snapped at him. “Are you not even going to come up with some pathetic lie to explain why the hell you lied to me?”
Anger, betrayal, and a pinch of spite was flaring through my body as I glared down the man I was sure I was in love with ten minutes ago.
I thought he trusted me. I thought he respected me.
I scoffed, turning away from him and taking long ass strides. The longer he was quiet, the more time he had to make something up.
If he dared say that hackneyed line, ‘I did it to protect you,’ then I would punch him, straight into that perfect face of his.
“Addison.”
I paused and pursed my lips, but kept my back to him.Please, Ethan, have a good excuse, so I can understand why you would keep something so massive from me?
“I didn’t tell you the truth because it would be easier on you. Telling you that they were alive wouldn’t help you. It’s not like you can have a friendship with them.”
I knew he had said more than‘it would be easier on you’but in my head, that was theonly part of the conversation I could focus on. So, I did the rational thing. I turned around and popped a punch straight into his perfect nose.
I would never forget his look of shock and pain. I spun on my heel and stormed off, heading home. If Ethan knew what was good for him, he wouldn’t follow.