Page 46 of Boss and Brat

Ethan nodded, eyes stinging. “She didn’t even ask if I was okay.”

“That’s on her. Not you.”

Ethan leaned forward, trying to breathe past the ache. “Why does it still hurt?”

Carter’s voice softened. “Because you care. Doesn’t mean she gets to run your life.”

Ethan nodded again, slower this time.

For the first time all day, the knot in his chest loosened — not gone, but not choking him anymore. And Carter stayed right there beside him, steady as a wall.

He stared at his phone like it was on fire. His breath turned shallow and uneven. The bench felt too small; the air too thin. He set the phone beside him and pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes.

Carter didn’t move at first. He just stayed there, letting the moment settle.

Then Ethan’s breath hitched.

Once.

Twice.

And then everything he’d been holding back cracked open.

“Not once did she talk to me, only around me.”

Carter stayed still beside him, close enough that their shoulders almost touched. “I know.”

Ethan shook his head hard. “No, you don’t know. She—she always does this. Pretends everything’s fine. Pretends I’m fine. Like I’m some… project she can fix with church and potlucks.”

His voice wavered, and he hated it. He hated how young he sounded.

Carter didn’t flinch. “You’re allowed to be pissed.”

“I’m not just pissed. I’m… I don’t know. I’m tired. I’m tired of trying to be what she wants. I’m tired of her acting like I’m a problem she has to fix.”

His eyes burned, and he blinked fast, but the tears still came. He wiped them away with the back of his hand, embarrassed.

Carter reached out and put a warm hand on the back of Ethan’s neck. Not pulling him in, not forcing anything — just grounding him.

“Breathe,” Carter said. “Slow.”

Ethan tried. His breath stuttered, but he tried.

Carter kept his hand there, thumb brushing once against Ethan’s skin. “You did the right thing calling her. You told her the truth. That takes guts.”

Ethan let out a rough laugh. “Didn’t feel like guts. Felt like I was gonna throw up.”

“Still did it,” Carter said. “That counts.”

Ethan leaned forward, hands shaking. “Why does it hurt so much? She doesn’t even care.”

Carter shook his head. “She cares. Just not in the way you need. And that’s on her, not you.”

Ethan’s voice cracked. “She didn’t say anything I needed to hear.”

Carter didn’t pull away or make it weird. He just stayed right there beside him, steady as stone.

“You deserved that,” Carter said. “You still do.”