He chuckled. “Yeah. One of the researchers at the lab is named Emily. They’ve heard me talk about her before. She’s incompetent as hell, so they’ll hopefully just think I’m helping her. Cole was too wasted to realize it. Had to slap him around to get my phone back.”
I winced at that.
“I don’t want to be an inconvenience. Seriously?—”
“You will never be that to me,” he said softly. “It’s good to hear from you.”
“I, um, yesterday got so busy. I had all this stuff to do?—”
“Rosalie,” he laughed. “It’s OK. You don’t need to explain anything to me. We’re friends. I get it. Yesterday was busy for me too, so it’s a good thing it worked out the way it did.”
I relaxed at that.
“I feel better,” I admitted.
“Good. So, what’s up?”
“Nothing.” I settled back against my bed. “Ani is out scouting a new band. Trent and Ryder are here, keeping watch. I should be sleeping, but it’s hard with all this stuff going on. Has me on edge.”
“Hearing about it in the news isn’t fun. I wish there was something I could do.”
“Just talking helps,” I said. “I was actually thinking about you.”
“Yeah?” he laughed softly, the sound sending flurries of butterflies through my stomach. “I’m honored. You’re kind of a big deal, sweetheart.”
My heart clenched at the use of the old nickname. Ethan didn’t sound like the guy I left behind. Who left me behind. This Ethan sounded so put-together. So confident. So… good.
It dawned on me that he was a completely different person, and that I didn’t know him at all.
Was that what time did to people? Just made them strangers? Ethan and I had been through so much together. He’d almost died for me once upon a time.
“I’m glad you reached out,” I murmured, focusing on the call. “I-I was actually going to reach out to you, but you beat me to it.”
“Guess that’s fate, huh?”
“Guess so.” I bit my bottom lip for a moment. “Um, can I ask you a question?”
“Ask me anything. I’m an open book.”
I smiled at that. Ethan was always easy to talk to.
“How is Cole these days? Really.”
“Really?” He sighed. “He’s… Cole, you know? Not much has changed. Little crazier, I suppose. Shorter fuse. He talks about you often, so if you’re wondering if he ever forgot about you, the answer is no.”
I wiped quickly at my eyes. “I wasn’t wondering.”
He was quiet for a moment. “Liar. Respectfully, Rosalie.”
I laughed at that.
“If you want to talk to him, his number is still the same. I’m sure he’d love to hear from you,” he said gently.
I said nothing as I wiped quickly at my eyes, but the damn tears kept coming. Cole had left me to be with Enzo and his wife. I couldn’t forgive it as much as I tried, the years be damned, but he was Ellis’s dad, and she was asking about him.
Did I hate Cole?
Maybe a little.
