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“This is the same guy who cheated on you, broke up with you, and then accusedyouof cheating onhim. And he’s in your damn apartment? I thought you had more sense than that. I mean . . . He’s the reason your parents don’t even talk to you.”
“First of all, I know you’re upset, but you need to take it down a notch. Second of all, he and I have talked and gotten past all of that. It was a misunderstanding. I’m not saying that what he did was right. But it turns out that there were extenuating circumstances, things I didn’t know.”
Ethan paces back and forth in front of me. I can see he’s agitated, and I understand why. He doesn’t know the entire story. He and Jake were my knights in shining armor eight years ago when my world fell apart. I probably owe him an explanation, but not when he’s acting like this.
Ethan runs his hands through his hair. “A misunderstanding? He cheated on you. Then had the audacity to blame you for the breakup. So, what, now he’s back in your life like nothing happened?”
I fold my arms against my chest. “No, it’s not like that. If you would stop freaking out, maybe I can explain.”
He stops pacing and puts his hands on my shoulders. “I need you to look at me and be honest with me. It doesn’t matter how upset you think I’ll be. Is he the man you were sleeping with eight months ago? The man you were sleeping with at the same time you and I were sleeping together?”
For a second, I don’t think I heard him right.
For a second, I thought I might be losing my mind.
Surely, he didn’t just come into my apartment and accuse me of sleeping around.
But, oh, yes, he certainly did. Now I understand what they mean about seeing red.
I push his hands off my shoulders, put my hands on his chest, and shove him away from me. “Get. Out. Of. My. Apartment,” I seethe at him. “Get out now.”
The stunned look on his face gives me a little bit of satisfaction.
“I saw you with someone!” he says. “Three days after our split, I saw you holding hands with someone.”
“Holding hands is a long way from screwing someone,” I snap, my voice sharp with anger.
“Something was going on between you two. I’m not an idiot, Liz. I saw what I saw.”
“Youarean idiot. Because you didn’t see anything. And the only one I was sleeping with was you. You know what, though? Even if I was sleeping with him, you’re the one that didn’t want exclusivity. You’re the one who didn’t want anything serious. When I asked you for a commitment, you ran. So don’t come back here acting like I did something wrong.”
“Are you trying to tell me that the man you were holding hands with, the man you were whispering to, you weren’t seeing him? You weren’t dating him? You weren’t sleeping with him?”
“I said it already, and I’m not saying it again.”
His eyes laser-focus on me. “Was Trent the man I saw you with that night?”
I wish I didn’t have to answer this question. This discussion is not going at all how I planned. I wanted to tell Ethan about Trent but never got the opportunity. It would have been so much better if we’d had this conversation before him seeing Trent.
Nervously, I clear my throat before replying. “It was Trent, yes. But there was nothing romantic about that dinner. In fact, his sister, Peggy, was supposed to join us. One of her kids got sick, and she had to cancel at the last minute. Had you not run off, I would have told you everything. I tried to text you, call you, but you didn’t respond.”
At least he has the decency to look a little ashamed. “And for that, I apologize. I never should have done that to you. You deserved better.”
“You’re damn right, I did. You left without a word. It was like I meant nothing at all to you. Do you have any idea how that felt? And now, you’re back and accusing me of lying and cheating.” I shake my head sadly. “This has been an eye-opening conversation, Ethan, and I am D.O.N.E.”
“I know my words will mean nothing to you right now. But I’m sorry. Really, really sorry. I’ve not treated you the way you should’ve been treated.”
His apology eases some of my tension. There’s just so much we still need to talk about, and I don’t know how to even start.
“We made a mess of things,” I tell him.
“Yes, but we can fix it. We have to. We’re going to have a baby soon. I plan to be here through it all. I’m in this one hundred percent.”
I want to be relieved at what he is saying, but I know his mind could easily change. He’s not reliable. I’m not fully convinced that he even believes the baby is his. No matter how sincere he looks, his past actions make it difficult for me to trust what he’s saying.
I’d almost completely given up on him. Does he deserve a chance to prove himself?
“Let’s schedule a paternity test,” I offer. “I don’t want doubt hanging over us.”
