Page 70 of When We Ignite
ASH
After lunch with Oliver, I went back to my apartment and wrestled with how the hell I was going to handle this. I considered calling Ethan to avoid a face-to-face meeting, but I knew that would only upset him. He deserved a conversation in person, no matter how difficult it would be.
I texted him, asking if he’d come to my place that afternoon. He was reluctant at first but agreed. He declined my offer to send a car yet still arrived promptly at four. Meeting during the day seemed wiser than having him over at night.
I was on the phone when the elevator chimed, and he walked in. The sound drew my attention, and there he was—Ethan, dressed up again and looking incredible. Damn it.
I nodded in acknowledgment, and he gave me a shy, tight-lipped smile, his knuckles brushing under his nose in that nervous gesture of his. I was screwed. A phone call would have been so much easier.
Continuing my conversation, I kept an eye on him as he slowly approached, his gaze sweeping over the apartment. I could tell he was expecting me to move toward him, but I stayed seated on the sofa. He passed behind me, his fingers brushing against my hand, trailing up my arm—a fleeting touch. I glanced up, startled, and caught the hint of a smile on his lips.
I turned away, forcing my attention back to the call, but Ethan wasn’t done. He placed a gentle hand on my shoulder, and when I looked back, he leaned down and kissed me—a quick, soft gesture that sent my heart racing. Before I could react, he moved away, wandering toward the windows to take in the view.
This was going to be way harder than I thought.
I ended the call and took a steadying breath.
Ethan gazed out at the city skyline. “Finished?” he asked, turning to me.
“Yeah, all done.”
He glanced at my hand, then back at me, biting his lip in a way that was far too distracting. “This isn’t the same place I went to.”
“No, this is my place.”
He smiled, his expression softening. “It suits you,” he said, taking a step closer.
I resisted the urge to back away. “We need to have a talk.”
A small crease formed between his brows. “What about?”
“Come on, let’s sit,” I suggested, extending my hand.
He took it this time, with no hesitation, and we moved to the sofa. He sat close, the space between us almost nonexistent.
This was fucking impossible.
“So, what do you want to talk about?” he prompted when I didn’t start right away.
“Oli’s coming to work with the company.”
Ethan blinked, surprised. Which, fair. I had no idea why I had told him that either. At least the tension in his face eased slightly.
“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Why not?”
“Oli’s a better candidate for CEO than me in our dad’s eyes—a safer choice,”I explained, struggling to stay on track. I needed to steer this toward why we couldn’t keep seeing each other, but the words felt heavy on my tongue.
“Why? I thought you two worked on different things.”
I ran my hand through my hair and thought about how to explain it. “We do—or we did. Oli’s worked in investment banking, which makes him a perfect fit for CFO. That’s what I used to do.”
“Chief Financial Officer,” he noted.
I nodded. “He excels at all that. Our dad has always wanted him to join the company.”
