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“Is that necessary to know?” I hedge. “I don’t really want my friends investigated.”
“Liz, I will need to investigate everyone. I’ll even investigate Ethan. We don’t know who sent the note, but I intend to find out.”
So much for my hope to leave Trent out of this. Ethan is not going to be happy to find out that I went out with him. I just hope it doesn’t make things weird between us.
“I was out with Trent Ellington.”
“You were out with Trent?” Ethan asks in a low, incredulous tone.
I ignore him and his frosty look. If Peyton notices anything wrong, she ignores it. “And how long have you known Trent?”
“Ten years.”
She looks up from her computer and pierces me with her eyes. “Do we need Ethan to leave the room for the rest of these questions?” she asks.
I glance at Ethan, and he’s hitting me with a stony stare. I guess Peyton noticed after all. I probably should ask him to leave, but what does it matter anyway?
“You probably want to know the nature of my relationship with Trent. We were engaged eight years ago. He broke it off. We didn’t have contact for a long time, then he and I started talking again about ninemonths ago. We are kind of seeing each other occasionally. However, other than a couple of kisses, there’s nothing romantic about the relationship.”
“So you’re dating him,” she says as a comment, not a question.
“I mean, not really. He’s a friend.”
“Does Trent feel the same way? That there’s nothing romantic?” she asks.
Damn, this lady asks some hard questions I’m unprepared to answer. I’m tempted to lie, but she’s a private investigator. She’d probably figure it out anyway.
“Trent would like for there to be more, yes. He’s expressed a desire to be with me romantically.” Even though I don’t want to say more, I force myself to say the last part. “He implied that he would like to marry me.”
I could almost rub my arms from the sudden frigid temperature drop coming off Ethan. Without looking at him, I know that he’s hella upset. I never lied to him, but I also didn’t tell him the entire truth.
Peyton finishes her notes and then shuts her device with a snap. “I appreciate your honesty, Liz. This will help me immensely.” She gets up to leave. “Ethan, thanks again for having me over. I’ll get right on this and update you as soon as possible.”
“Anytime. I appreciate your help with this,” he says as he walks her out.
After Peyton is gone, I’m left alone with a sleeping baby and an angry man. Ethan is so mad that he won’t even look my way. He starts roaming around the living room, picking up things and cleaning up the messes I made.
I don’t want him to be angry. Our very fragile friendship is at stake here.
“Ethan, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was out with Trent that night.”
“You think that’s it? Why I’m upset?” he demands.
“Yeah, I do,” I answer honestly. “Isn’t it?”
“That’s only part of it. You should have told me that you were out with him. But, also, if you were dating him, you should have told me. You made it sound like you’re just friends.”
I pull my feet onto the couch and wrap my arms around my legs. I’m not sure how to make Ethan understand my relationship with Trent. I’m not even sure I understand it. “I mean, technically, it looks like we are dating because we go out together. But, Ethan, nothing is happening on these dates. We have dinner, that’s it. When it’s over, he drops me off at my place, and he goes home to his place. Nothing more. I made it clear that I only want to be friends.”
“And you kiss. And he wants to marry you. Do you want to marry him? Is that why you don’t want to move in here?”
“I don’t have to answer these questions,” I mutter.
Ethan kneels in front of me. “A few months ago, I would have agreed with you. Things are different now. We have a baby together, and I’m doing everything I’m supposed to do. I’d do more if you’d let me. You have a right to date whoever you want, but you can at least be honest about it.”
“Fine. You want the truth? The truth is that I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t love Trent, and he knows that. But he still wants to marry me. He wants to be a family. Can’t you understand that I want a family, people who love me unconditionally?”
“You don’t need Trent. I can take care of you.”
