AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter fifteen
Emma
Ihungup.Ihad to. I am now wound so tight, I’m about to explode!How am I supposed to spend a weekend with this man who can’t keep his hands off me whenever we are together? Do I even want him to keep his hands off me?
I know, I know, I shouldn’t be complaining! This is every girl’s dream—a hot possessive man who wants to do naughty things to you. Only one problem, it’s Dylan. I fell for him so hard all those years ago and I’m afraid it’ll happen again and how broken I will be when it ends.
I’m about to set my phone down when it lights up with a text. Thinking it’s Dylan again, I open my messages.
Ethan: *baseball meme* Hey babe, how was your date at the baseball game? Miss you! Sorry I’ve been MIA. We picked up a few last minute events and it’s been insanely busy.
Ethan is my best friend from college. He jokingly flirts with me—did it even when I was married—but it’s harmless. He mostly sends me random memes throughout the week, until we can get together for drinks or coffee. He’s never been married, which I don’t understand because he is such a catch! He is always so busy with work, but it has to be hard finding your forever person when you are a self-made millionaire, on the verge of a nine-figure income. There is always the worry that they are with you for your money. Ethan is one of the biggest event planners in the area, but no matter how busy he gets, he always makes time for me.
We dated for a few weeks, almost 20 years ago, before discovering that we were better off friends. He always makes me laugh and knows me better than any of my girlfriends. He also remembers Dylan and how he broke my heart. When I told him about the date, he was none too happy about it.
Emma: Hey handsome! It went well. Probably too well. He actually invited me on a trip next weekend.
Ethan: What?! No, Em, you can’t. He’s a wanker who just wants to get his dick wet.
Emma: Wanker? Trying on British slang this week?
Ethan: I promoted Tyler. I’ve spent a bit of time with him the last few weeks training him to be an event manager. He’s from somewhere across the pond and it’s rubbing off on me. Did Dylan ever tell you why he ghosted you after dating for EIGHT months? I thought you were going to marry him before he pulled that shit.
Emma: Across the pond? Seriously, who says that?! Also, no, we never talked about it.
Ethan: Then don’t go on the trip with someone who is proof that evolution can be reversed.
I can’t help but laugh. Ethan always had the most colorful insults for Dylan. I should prepare for them to escalate now that I’m dating Dylan again…are we dating?It feels like we fast-tracked our way into a situationship.
Emma: You know, I think you’re just jealous and want to keep me all to yourself.
Ethan: Guilty as charged. You’ll always be my girl.
I send him an eye roll emoji and set my phone todo not disturb. Maybe Ethan is right—Ineed to get to the bottom of what happened all those years ago.
Twodayslater,Ethan’swords are eating away at me.Did Dylan ever tell you why he ghosted you after dating for eight months?Curiosity gets the better of me and I message him.
Emma: Free for a call tonight?
Dylan: Absolutely, I’m free any time for you.
When I get home, I go through the evening bedtime routine for my kids on autopilot. Getting ready for bed myself, wearing an oversized tee and underwear, I try to muster up the courage to call him. Part of me doesn’t want the truth, but Ethan is right—we should get it out in the open before spending a weekend together.
I head downstairs, I pour myself a glass of wine, set the door alarm, and head back up. Settling into my bed with my reading pillow behind me, I scroll social media for a few minutes, procrastinating. I blow out a deep breath, click on my call logs, and hover over his name for a moment before finally pressing it. It rings three times before he picks up.
“Hello, beautiful. How was your day?”
I’m so nervous to have this conversation, I don’t even say hello. Instead, I jump right in. “What happened 16 years ago?”
He pauses for a moment. “What do you mean?”
“What do you mean, what do I mean?You know what I mean!” I try not to raise my voice, and lower it a little just in case I sound shrill. “You literally disappeared after we dated for almost a year. Nohey babe, it's not working outorI’m seeing someone else.” I sigh. “It was so embarrassing.”
“You want the truth?” He says it so matter of factly.Of course, I want the truth!
“No, just lie to me to make me feel better,” I reply sarcastically.
He chuckles softly, but still taking me seriously, replies, “E, look…I fucked up. We were kids, and I wasscared. You’re the kind of woman you spend forever with, the one who you have the white picket fence and 2.5 kids with.”
