Page 93 of Ignite

He’d started mixing up his fun facts about herbal teas with messages showing me herbal teas on sale. It didn’t matter whether they were on sale in the UK—spoiler alert, the postage would be a killer—local or from one of the larger towns. The fact that Ethan thought enough to hunt down an obscure sale made me smile.

Ethan made me think of him, even when I didn’t want to think.

All these months and we’d been circling each other, gradually getting closer and closer until he was all I could see.

Ethan Cooper made me laugh and smile when I’d thought those days were over. He could charm the pants off a nun, or drive me to drink with his brand of crazy.

Ethan made me a better person, but instead of knocking on my door, he’d left me smashed roses.

“I’m so sorry Ryles.” Darin appeared at my front door, cheap flowers in hand and Trixi behind him.

“Good morning to you, too.” I opened the door wider. “I assume you wouldn’t knock back a strongly brewed coffee?”

“Coffee, yes. But I’m really sorry, Ryles. Last night, Trix and I had a fight over the color of bridesmaids’ dresses, and I lost my nerve and called off the wedding.”

“Over the color of fabric?” I looked over to Trixi who gave me the nod that said,yeah, what am I gonna do about it?

“The thought of marrying Trixi when you and I were unfinished business—”

“We were finished,” I said while waving my hand to invite them inside. “The day you slept with another woman; we were finished. Perhaps I didn’t know it at the time, but we were finished.”

Trixi blushed and tried to say something, but Darin pulled her to his chest—the same way he used to comfort or silence me.

“Ryles, I’m sorry for the way we broke up—”

“I’m fine, Darin, really.” I struggled to remember why I’d mourned him. “You and Trixi can go ahead, have multi-colored bridesmaid gowns if that makes both sides happy.” I looked to Trixi who still seemed embarrassed. “I want to be happy for you, but I don’t know the social etiquette for this sort of thing. I don’t love you, and even when you drunk dial me or turn up on my doorstep, I don’t in the slightest wish we were together anymore.”

“Ouch,” Darin clutched at his chest.

“Sorry, not sorry.” I laughed. “So that was a definite yes for coffee?”

“What was with the box of tea and petals on your doorstep?” Trixi asked, going back outside to bring in the evidence of Ethan’s visit. “Deranged stalker or obsessed lover?”

“How about a man who might have come over yesterday to thank me for his paint job only for my deranged ex-lover to turn up and scare him off?” I tried to keep my tone light, but the message was clear. Darin had fucked me over for the last time.

“Ethan left the flowers?” Darin sounded, happy? After yesterday, I expected jealousy or sad, but he seemed happy.

“And then he left,” I reminded them, topping their coffee with frothed milk. “The man left a box of my favorite tea and a bunch of shredded flowers on my doorstep.”

“Darin’s car was still in the driveway.” It took Trixi to point out the obvious.

“What?”

“Ethan was here when Darin turned up, Ethan left when Darin probably professed his drunken and undying love for you?” Trixi sounded more resigned than jealous. Darin pulled her tighter and kissed the top of her head.

“He stormed out of here,” I choked. How could I be so blind? “Ethan stormed out of here and then he came back this morning to see Darin’s car in my driveway. He thinks we’re together.”

“Then, my darling first love but not the love of my life,” Darin said, hugging his fiancé but looking at me. “How about you go and tell him we’re not.”

“Then let’s leave Rylee alone, and you can buy me breakfast.” Trixi stared adoringly up into Darin’s eyes. I couldn’t remember ever feeling the way she looked at him. They deserved each other, and I no longer thought those words like a bitch. To me, Trixi said, “Thanks again for last night and I hope you get your man.”

I needed a plan.

Luckily, my friend Felicity was also a friend of Ethan’s. He’d needed a favor and now I knew where he was.

Chapter 26

F You

---