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Ethan wipes drool from her lips then offers the glass of water with a bamboo straw. “Have a drink, Amy.” She does so without asking questions then her head falls back on the pillow, and she’s out like a light.
“I’ll go empty it.” He’s gone, returning a few minutes later with a clean bucket. “Do you mind waiting while I grab a few things?”
“Sure.” I wipe Amy’s mouth again.
Ethan walks through the door wearing a T-shirt and boxers. If I were into him, I’d be mush—I’m not blind to respect a beautiful male body when I see one. He places his water bottle on the other side table along with a book and slides onto the bed near Amy. “Go. I promise I won’t fall asleep. If I need you, I’ll let you know.”
“I think she’ll be fine. Honestly, she had bigger nights in Brazil,” I murmur, not wanting to tone down his generosity. “But talking of friends…” I open my clutch and retrieve a tiny velvet box. “I’ve been carrying this with me trying to find the right moment.”
Ethan sighs. His shoulders rise and fall. “There’s never a right time.”
“No,” I murmur.
“If it makes it easier, I’ve been waiting for you to give it back even though I insisted you keep it as a friend.”
“You weren’t waiting in hope?”
He shrugs. “A guy always has a slither of hope. I knew you were happy, and it’s all I wanted. If you weren’t, then I’d be letting you know he wasn’t the right guy for you.”
My eyes widened. “Who are you, and what have you done with Ethan?”
He chuckles.
“I am happy,” I say truthfully. “A little lonely at times, but I know it’s not forever, and Samuel needs to do his required hours.” I hand him the box. “I’ll be your friend without substantiating it with a ring. And we both know my fiancé wouldn’t appreciate me wearing it.” He flips the lid open. “It’s a beautiful ring.”
Ethan pulls the ring out. “It’s a friendship ring. Maybe it can be a sign of peace?” He holds up Amy’s hand and slides the gold diamond ring on the middle finger of her right hand. “It held meaning when I bought it, but to be honest, it’s a peace offering, and I have no use for it. I hope Amy sees it that way. It’s too expensive to sit in a drawer.”
“And too beautiful.” I meet his gaze. “As a friend, I can tell you it’s exquisite.”
He smiles. “To friendship and getting the old gang back together again.”
“Talking of, have you heard from Bree lately?”
He shakes his head. “I’ve received the odd message. At least we get to see her during the two-week holiday she’s allowed.”
“I understand how busy she is now after living with Samuel. God knows how the extra leave was granted for her to come on vacation with us.”
Ethan leans over, places a hand on Amy’s forehead, and then replaces the towel. “She’s okay.”
“If she were sober and you tried that, you’d better protect your balls.”
Ethan chuckles. “You have a partner and a baby to care for tomorrow. Get some sleep.”
Opening the Uber app on my phone, I tap on a car only a few minutes away. I kiss Amy’s cheek. “I’ll call you in the morning because you’re going to want answers.” I glance at Ethan and wink while he walks me to the front door. Outside, the night air is still. The stars twinkle, and for once, it feels as though the universe is happy.
Ethan hugs me. “See you, Edes.”
His words feel like closure, but in a good way, and a fresh start between old friends.
Depending on Amy’s reaction in the morning…
25
SAMUEL
Samuel wakes around seven.
A sleep-in for him.
