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I was overwhelmed. I should have been used to the feeling, but I wasn’t. Aside from the first while with Ethan, I hadn’t ever felt thisgoodkind of overwhelmed. The kind where everything seemed to be working out and you were so grateful and so scared that you didn’t know how to process.
For a while, I’d ridden the buzz, planning my future with Ethan until he got news of his promotion and I hadn’t been able to drive and Liz had shown up and basically, nothing had worked out for me.
Did that mean more would come crashing down around me as soon as I let my guard drop?
For some reason, I didn’t think so.
This felt different.
It felt like I had made it through the deep end and I didn’t have to hold my breath any longer.
Yes, Ethan’s job was still up in the air, but when I met his gaze and felt the strength of feelings between us, instead of fearing losing him, I felt hope.
CHAPTER26
ETHAN
Jaime looked devastatedwhen we entered the living room early in the morning to find Liz already clean and dressed, with makeup on, putting her earrings in.
Her bedding was folded neatly and sitting on the coffee table, her bag packed.
“What are you doing?” he demanded.
“Getting out of your hair,” she said, smiling. “I want to get out of the way. This place isn’t big enough for all four of us.”
“It is!” Jaime argued, but she stood up and gave him a hug.
“I’ll still be nearby. I’m going to stay with Doug for a bit.”
“Doug?” Jaime repeated numbly.
She gave him a shrewd smile.
“Don’t worry, he told me he’s sober now.”
For both Jaime and Liz’s sake, I hoped that was true.
“I don’t stay here all the time,” I said, wondering if that would sway her, but she shook her head.
“Honestly… it’s too hard for me right now. I’m happy for how everything has worked out, but it still makes me feel like shit.”
She shrugged helplessly.
“Baby steps, I think. If I see Evie for a little while every couple of days, I’ll probably get used to this, but for now, I need some space and you two lovebirds do too.”
She winked, lifting her backpack onto her shoulders.
“I’ll call you, okay?”
“Yeah, alright,” Jaime said dejectedly. “Just promise, if he’s not actually sober, you’ll come back here?”
She paused.
“We can stay at Ethan’s and you can have the whole place to yourself.”
He glanced at me, making sure I didn’t mind.
I nodded, letting my arm rest around his shoulders.
