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He meets my gaze with a mixture of apprehension and longing. We simply stand there for a moment, locked in a silent exchange.
As the seconds stretch into eternity, Ethan breaks the silence.
“Jessy,” he begins, his words carrying a raw vulnerability that pierces through the air like a dagger, “please, can we talk?”
I feel a swirl of emotions rise within me, uncertainty warring with a flicker of hope. Part of me wants to shut the door and retreat back into the safety of the house, but another part yearns to hear what he has to say.
Drawing a deep breath, I nod slowly and step aside to allow him entry. “Come in,” I murmur, my voice barely audible above the pounding of my heart.
Ethan steps over the threshold, his presence filling the space with an unspoken tension. Mom and my stepdad have already disappeared to give us privacy.
Turning to face him, I find myself at a loss for words, the weight of his gaze bearing down on me like a heavy cloak.
“What do you want to talk about?” I finally manage to say, my voice betraying the turmoil churning within me.
Ethan takes a step closer, his eyes searching mine with an intensity that sends shivers down my spine.
“Us,” he replies simply, his voice tinged with an undercurrent of longing. “I need to explain, Jessy. Please, just give me a chance.”
I swallow hard, the lump in my throat making it difficult to form coherent thoughts. “Explain?” I repeat the word hanging in the air between us like a fragile thread. “Explain what, exactly?”
His gaze softens, a flicker of remorse flashing across his features. “Everything,” he murmurs, his voice tinged with regret.
“But first, I need you to know that I never meant to hurt you. I love you, Jessy.”
A wave of conflicting emotions washes over me, uncertainty warring with a lingering ache deep within my heart. “I don’t know if I can trust you,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper.
Ethan reaches out, his hand hovering in the space between us as if searching for reassurance. “I understand,” he replies, his voice tinged with sadness. “But please, just hear me out. That’s all I ask.”
And listen to him, I did. I listened as he tells me about his fears of me treating him differently if I knew how influential he was and his true role in the hotel.
“You were scared?” I echo, the words feeling foreign on my tongue as I struggle to process his revelation. “Scared of what, exactly?”
His gaze meets mine, a mixture of remorse and vulnerability shining in his eyes. “I know it sounds absurd, but I was terrified that you would see me differently if you found out the truth about me. That you would think I was using my wealth to impress you, or worse, that you would walk away,” he admits, his voice barely above a whisper.
A surge of empathy washes over me as I listen to his words, the walls around my heart beginning to crumble in the face of his raw honesty.
“But why didn’t you just tell me?” I find myself asking, the frustration and hurt seeping into my voice despite my best efforts to remain composed.
Ethan’s expression softens, a fleeting flicker of regret passing across his features. “I wanted to,” he confesses, his voice tinged with remorse. “But every time I tried, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I was so afraid of losing you, Jessy, that I let my fear cloud my judgment.”
Despite the hurt and confusion swirling within me, I find myself unable to deny the depth of my feelings for him,
“And Lysa?” I find myself asking the question, slipping out before I can stop it.
“She is in my past. As you know, we dated, but it’s been over for a year now.”
A wave of relief washes over me at his words, the tension in my shoulders easing slightly as I allow myself to believe in the possibility of redemption.
“I want to trust you, Ethan,” I admit, the words tasting bittersweet on my tongue. “But it’s going to take time.”
He nods, a flicker of understanding shining in his eyes. “I know,” he replies softly. “And I’ll do whatever it takes to earn back your trust, Jessy. I promise.”
I allow him to hug me as he stretches out his arms, closing my eyes as I inhale his scent and melt into his hug.
36
Ethan
