Page 1 of Dump and Chase

ChapterOne

Tangi

How do you start a story at a funeral? Because that’s how this one started. I hadn’t seen Ethan in almost three years, not since our colossal breakup on New Year’s Eve. No single thing had precipitated what was going to happen that night. Looking back, it was all the little things that had snowballed into one huge catastrophe. I found out that day that we both wanted different things out of life, and so I put my big-girl pants on and finally decided to end it. I’d dumped him and hadn’t looked back.

He’d made a half-assed attempt at stopping me that night, and I mean half-assed because he was half drunk. Once reality hit, he’d tried pretty hard to win me back in the weeks after, but I held firm to my demands. Demands I knew he’d never agree too.

I’ve hated New Year’s Eve ever since.

And now I was off to a funeral, where I’d see Ethan for the first time in three years.

I put on a plain black dress and pinned my hair in a simple updo. Mom and Dad were taking a separate car because Mom hated funerals and Dad didn’t want to stay long. Mom had dropped off some dainties the night before for the wake . As usual, she was already prepared, and that included her exit strategy to get herself and Dad home early—blaming Dad’s arthritis. A shit excuse, but who was going to call her on it?

So that left me driving to the funeral alone. My little sister had already decided not to go because of her unresolved anger toward Ethan. I’d already told her a million times that the breakup was my choice, but my little sister took it hard. Ethan was the big brother she’d always wanted, someone who had been in her life since she was thirteen, and then he was gone, poof, from her life. Being the semi-decent guy he was, he still sent her texts and IG messages sometimes, but she ignored them all.

As I was heading for the door, I caught her in the living room, playing on her phone.

“One last chance to come,” I said.

She didn’t look up. “You shouldn’t even go.”

“I’m not going for Ethan. I’m going for Ava and her family.” And Ethan too, but there was no reasoning with Leah, so I kept that part to myself.

“I sent a card with Mom and Dad. Besides, I work tonight.”

Leah rarely turned away a shift at the swanky restaurant job she’d landed after finishing her degree. I couldn’t blame her for loving the job. The tips were beyond ridiculous. She made more money than I did at my job at the sports and rehab clinic, despite how hard I worked. And she did it in fewer hours too.

After I’d dumped Ethan, I’d moved back home and finished my college degree, the one I’d put on hold when I moved to Vancouver with him. I probably could have finished my degree there, but I was living in a different country and was trying so hard to navigate and fit in. School was the last thing on my mind.

Now I had that degree and a job, and my little sister was making more money. A lot more. Enough where she could probably move out, and I’d still be living with Mom and Dad. Probably forever, to pay off the damn school loans.

“Okay, well, I’ll see you later.”

I drove to the church and tried to quell my nerves. Three long years we hadn’t seen each other. Even though Ethan and I had broken up, I’d still maintained a friendship with Ava. We just made sure that Ethan was never brought up. As far as I knew, Ethan hadn’t even been home in those three years, or if he had, Ava hadn’t mentioned it. Or course, my friendship with her changed after Vancouver. We tried to rekindle what we had, but it became a friendship of group outings rather than anything one-on-one. Maybe we were both afraid Ethan would come up? I’m not sure.

Mom and Dad’s SUV was already in the church parking lot. I snagged a spot at the very back—it paid to come early. I expected the place to be packed. The Grant family was well-known around town, and with Ethan back, that would be an added draw. I’d have to hang around the church longer than necessary, but I was doing it for Ava and Ethan’s mom. Or so I kept reminding myself.

I took a deep breath and made the slow walk to the church doors. A few people were milling about outside, enjoying the early and warm July sunshine, but my thoughts drifted to Ethan. Had he brought his girlfriend? If he had, how would I react? I knew he had a girlfriend. He’d mentioned it on his socials, the ones we’d kept ourselves connected by, but I’d rarely looked. And if she was at the funeral, I had to keep it together even though my heart was threatening to burst out my chest.

After one more breath, I reached for the door. The waft of burning incense hit me first. Was that frankincense? It was strangely comforting as my eyes adjusted to the darker light. Music was playing softly inside, and before I had a chance to do anything, an attendant asked me to sign the guestbook. That’s when I saw a picture of Ethan’s dad. Rick Grant had always been sweet to me, making sure I was well fed at family dinners and included in all the Grant weekend adventures. He’d taught me to fish, golf, and play the guitar, although I barely knew how to play it now. The one thing we loved most was a good game of chess. He could beat me every time, but he was sure to let me win once in a while.

I choked up a bit seeing his smiling face. Ethan had his eyes and his smile, although Rick had smiled a lot more often. Ethan had always been the serious one in his family.

The attendant grabbed my arm again. He clearly needed to keep the line moving.

“Ma’am,” he said, “please feel free to pass your condolences on to the family, then make your way to a seat.” It was more a command than a suggestion.

As I crossed the back of the church, I took a peek inside. The pews were already two-thirds full, and I scanned for my friends Wolseley and Jill, who I knew would save me a seat. I’d need them today, but as I made my way toward another attendant, I didn’t see them anywhere. Crap. But I didn’t have time to think about it. The second attendant was motioning me down an aisle to the family.

I sucked in a breath. In a matter of seconds, I’d see Ethan. Would he be cool and unaffected, like he usually was? Would he pretend not to remember me even though we’d dated for more than seven years? I didn’t have much time to think about it, as I was thrust forward by a third attendant toward the family line. Boy, these people were pushy.

Rick’s sisters pulled me into hugs. I’d met Ethan’s aunts many times over the years at Grant family functions, and both were warm and friendly, just like Rick. Amid a flurry of tears, they thanked me for coming before passing me on to their husbands. I finally got to breathe when I saw Ava. I threw my arms around her as she cried on my shoulder. I rubbed her back and offered her any comforting words I could think of. She kept thanking me and when we broke apart, I handed her some extra tissues.

“I think you’re going to need these,” I said.

She nodded and I moved forward. And there he was. All six foot two of him. He was looking down on me with sullen brown eyes. He was hiding the hurt, but I could see it. He couldn’t hide that from me.

“Ethan, I’m so sorry for you loss. Your dad was a great man, and he was like a second dad to me.”

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