Page 94 of Hearts on the Line

“So why are you here, Julia? You don’t get to show up like this and expect Sloane to explain herself.”

“Just trying to understand why my daughter disappeared. She was getting married at the beginning of the summer, then ran off and now won’t answer my calls. She’s giving up on a life she worked very hard for. A good life.”

“I’m not giving up at all.” It hurts, but I let go and step forward. “I don’t regret leaving the wedding. I don’t want to be with someone who can’t love me for who I am. He wanted to marry Jimmy Arden’s daughter, but he didn’t want to love her.”

My mom grabs her sunglasses. “I thought you wanted to be back around hockey because of Dad.”

“I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to him. Jason was comfortable, and I was so tired from pushing myself for years, trying to prove to you that people read my…” I pause, racking my mind for what she said at the wedding. “Oh, my ‘pointless’ stories.”

“I only want what’s best for you.”

This entire time, I feel Ethan standing behind me. He doesn’t touch me again, and maybe that’s for the best.

“Then let’s get something to eat and chat. I don’t need you trying to mold my life into what yours wasn’t. I’m sorry it didn’t work out with Dad, but that doesn’t mean I need to marry someone like him to be happy. I am happy.”

This time, I know the lack of sleep is getting to me because my throat tightens and my eyes sting, and then I’m blinking back tears I can’t hold back. Everything is falling apart, but I’m happy because, for once, I’m not running.

She grabs her hat from the counter next and whirls around. “Sloane, I am so disappointed.”

“That’s on you,” Ethan says, his voice still calm and low. “Your daughter is anything but a disappointment.”

“Don’t tell me⁠—”

“You can start with an apology. Not to me. I don’t give a fuck what you think of me. But to this amazing woman who has begged you her whole life to love her and see her for who she is. Since you couldn’t be bothered, I will. Every damn day with everything I have. And if you don’t like that, leave.”

My knees buckle beneath me, but I manage to stay upright by listening to the warm timbre of his voice. I shut my eyes. I don’t even see her storm out, only hear the sharp crack of the door slamming shut behind her.

Then he turns to me and cradles my face in his hands. “Hey.”

I peek up at him, letting myself melt against him for a moment, greedy to tuck this moment away and not remember him crushing my heart last night. But I can’t. I press my cheek against his palm and sniff back my tears.

“Just came to get my bag.”

“You’re leaving? Jesus, Sun, let me… last night we both said some things we shouldn’t have. We can fix it. We can talk it over. We’re not kids anymore.”

My phone rings, and I answer, not recognizing the number. There’s a bad accident five minutes out of town, and Michael is calling me to head to the police station to find more information for the front page.

“Sorry, I can’t right now, Ethan.” I mean more than just in this moment, I mean today. This week. We might be able to talk it over, but I don’t know what I’ll say. The hurt is still too fresh.

“Yeah.” He scratches his jaw, then closes his eyes for a half beat too long, as if bracing against the same wall of pain I’m struggling to stay above. “Busy day anyway.”

“I saw. Congratulations.”

His shoulders are tense, and suddenly, he refuses to look at me. “We’re staying open late tonight. Trying to get more customers in here. The damn special went viral. Or maybe they all just heard the rumor that Jack’s here.”

“The best things are always unexpected, aren’t they?”

This time, when his eyes find mine, my heart shatters. “Say what you want, but I’m not done fighting for us, baby. I’ll give you time, but promise you won’t leave again without talking to me.”

I clutch onto my overnight bag, anything not to let go. Something about this feels final. Everything inside me screams to run to Ethan, to let him fix this like he’s trying to fix everything else. But I can’t.

Not yet.

“Good luck tonight, Ethan. I’m proud of you.”

It feels like the start of a goodbye, even though neither of us says it.

Chapter 30