Page 69 of Love Unavoidable
Chapter 18
ethan
She’s going back to him. I can’t fucking believe it. They fucking deserve each other then. I hope his dick is no better than a wet noodle and she’s stuck with it for the rest of her safe little life.
I stop myself from punching the wall and move to the fridge to grab a beer. I chug a bottle of water first, then move on to the beer. Twelve-mile run and I still don’t feel any better than I did a couple hours ago.
I look around, the slider to the back door is open, there’s a bottle of merlot, a box of tissues, and a bag of Doritos sitting by the lounger. I grab the Doritos and head to my room, shoveling them into my mouth then washing them down with my beer.
It won’t take me much time to finish the bag and there won’t be any left for Sadie. She’d probably share them with Aaron anyway. Who the fuck does he think he is, coming tomyhouse? Who the fuck does she think she is inviting him? And who was the other chick with them?
I turn at the doorway of my bedroom instead of going in, and stomp back down the hall, beer and Doritos still in hand, and open the front door. All three are still there. Sadie is on the phone. Aaron is watching her. And the chick is—oh shit, that’s Melissa. I am not in the mood for her right now.
Too late.
“Ethan, thank god,” Melissa says pushing her way past me and into the house. “The woman wouldn’t let me in to wait for you.”
I have no choice but to follow her inside. “What can I do for you, Melissa?”
“I came by to say hi, see if you want a nightcap?” She pulls a bottle of Macallan 12-year single malt from her bag.
“That’s a nice surprise, truly, but I just got back from a run and I have an early morning tomorrow. I don’t think scotch is in the cards for me tonight. I appreciate you stopping by though.” I move back over by the door and lean my hand on the interior edge of the open door, ready to shut it when she leaves. She doesn’t move.
Isn’t standing by the door the universal code to leave?
The benefit of standing here also being I can hear everything Sadie is saying on the phone. Apparently with her mom.
Again.
Great.
“Mama,” she says. “I haven’t had a chance to look on the computer yet. I came in . . . no, I know . . . yes, I came in to pull up the site . . . Mama, just listen. I came in to pull up the site, someone came to the door . . . no, it wasn’t Aaron . . . why would you . . . Aaron came shortly after that . . . oh, you sent him here, why did you do that, Mama? This isn’t even my house . . . Iamrenting a room, but that . . . okay, look, I have to go. I’ll fix the box in the next half hour. Tell Dad sorry about the game. Talk to you later, bye.” She disconnects the call and sticks her phone in her back pocket, then looks at Aaron. “So, my mom sent you here?”
“Yes,” Aaron says. “She said you were ready to take the next step.”
“Next step for what?” Sadie asks.
“Ethan—” Melissa starts.
“Ssshhh!” I glare at her. I don’t want to miss anything that Sadie and Aaron are about to say.
“The next step for us getting back together, moving forward and getting married,” Aaron says.
“Aaron, didn’t I leave you at the altar?” Sadie asks.
I want to nod when he hesitates to answer.
“You did,” he says. “But it was just cold feet.”
“Except it wasn’t.” Sadie steps closer to him and lowers her voice slightly. “What if it was really that I did not want to get married? What then?”
“We can still be together and not be married,” Aaron says.
Sadie pinches the bridge of her nose and squeezes her eyes shut. When she opens them again and speaks clearly, she says, “I left you at the altar. As well as for good.”
He winces when she says that.
“I’m sorry if that hurts your feelings,” she continues. “But you are the only man I’ve dated up until now. I’m going to take some time and date other people, see what’s out there.”
