AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m in.”
Chapter 25: Sasha
It was a Friday evening, and Natalie and I opted for a change of scenery with drinks at our favorite bar, District Heat Lounge.
I hadn’t been here since my departure, over nine months ago, and it offered a welcome distraction to the confusing turn of events with Ethan, whose sudden entrance and exit from my life left me whiplashed.
Natalie, on a mission to lift my spirits, seemed determined to play matchmaker for the night.
Although I wasn’t interested in any more one-night stands, I was certainly attracted to one of the guys currently at our table buying us drinks. Dark black hair and piercing blue eyes adorned his face with a slight 5 o’clock shadow.
His subtle yet evident interest was apparent as he delicately rested his hand on the back of my chair. Despite the sweetness of the gesture, I couldn’t shake the feeling of being suffocated, my mind preoccupied with nothing but thoughts of Ethan and my broken heart.
“Excuse me for a minute,” I spoke to our group, “I need to run to the restroom.”
Once safely away from our new friends, I took a moment to collect myself. After using the bathroom, I stood before the mirror, swiftly freshening up my lipstick and taming my tousled curls. Another rainy day in D.C. had unfortunately wreaked havoc on my hair, a minor inconvenience amidst the emotional whirlwind I was navigating.
As I stood looking in the mirror, I heard the door creak open behind me.
“Hi, sorry to interrupt you.” A beautiful brunette with big brown eyes had entered the small space and spoke to me.
“It’s ok.” I said smiling. “I was almost finished anyways.”
She smiled politely. “I’m Elizabeth.” She spoke, extending her hand out to reach mine.
I turned and shook it in return, confused why this stranger was introducing herself to me.
“You’re Sasha, right?” she asked.
Concern etched my face on why this woman could know who I was. “Sorry, I hope that isn’t too creepy. I saw a picture of you on Ethan’s phone.”
My heart sank and I wondered who this beautiful stranger could be that would have seen Ethan’s phone. Had Ethan already moved on? “Oh, do you know him?”
She nodded. “Ethan was best friends with my late husband who passed away.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss.” I responded.
“Thank you.” she said warmly. “Jake was an incredible man. Ethan and he were extremely close.”
Jake? Why did that name sound so familiar?
“I just wanted to say, I’m really glad he’s found someone like you. He seems genuinely happy, and I’ve never seen him like that since... well, you know. Since Jake. Ethan was never the same after we lost him.”
I nodded, not liking where this was headed.
“Were you and Ethan close?” I asked, uncertainty lingering in my words.
She looked at me, giving a strange look. “I’m sorry Sasha, I thought you knew...” she trailed off. “I thought Ethan would have told you after the night he came to see me. Jake was Ethan’s best friend during his Army days. They had a special and inseparable bond. When we lost Jake, it changed everything. I was devastated, and so was Ethan. We found comfort in each other during the months that followed his passing...” She trailed off.
“Things fizzled out after a few months of getting engaged. We tried to make it work, but I knew it wasn’t what either of us really wanted. I’ve been going to therapy, processing the loss of my husband and something my therapist shared with me really stuck out.
“We were bonded by trauma and oftentimes, trauma bonds don’t work. There’s passion bonding the two, but it isn’t the right kind of passion. We were never meant to be together that way. When Ethan came to visit me a week ago, he’d received a letter from Jake that had never made it. It resurfaced some old feelings of regret for him which is why he'd stopped by. It was merely to talk to me. Ethan’s always had misplaced guilt about Jake’s passing, as if he could have stopped it…” she trailed off.
I nodded and stared, unsure what to say. “I had no idea.” I whispered.
Suddenly it became clear to me who Elizabeth was.
Elizabeth was Beth. Ethan’s ex-fiancé who’d left him a few months before he escaped to Ireland.
