Page 133 of One Touch

Ethan looked stunned. Then, for a moment, it looked almost as though he was going to cry. He blinked. Clenched his jaw. Let go of my shoulders. “I . . . I can’t give you what you need. I can’t risk it.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

“You want a fairy tale, Lily. Hell, youdeserveone.”

I folded my arms, trying to literally shield my heart from more pain. “Fairy tales don’t exist.”

“Look,” he said. “I don’t want to lose what we’ve got. If we can get the no-strings agreement, then it will work out great for both of us. But if we’re not careful. . . .”

For the first time, it suddenly felt like there was a thick pane of glass between us. So thick that I could barely hear Ethan through it.

I could no longer meet his eyes. Our bodies were close, but we might as well have been worlds apart. “I’m leaving.”

“So, you’re moving out?”

“I’m moving to New York. They offered me a full-time agent position, and I’m taking it.”

“What about your store? What about me? What are you talking about, Lily? One minute you’re saying you love me, and the next—”

“Do you know how unfair you’re being right now?”

“You’re abandoning us.”

“Abandoning you? I’m telling you that I love you. But if you don’t love me back—”

He held his hands up over his face. “I can’t. This wasn’t the plan. I can’t do it.”

“I understand.” Somehow, I didn’t cry. “Well. I’m going to pack.”

“I told you, Lily. I’m broken.”

“You think you are, but you’re not.”

As I climbed the stairs to my room—no, not my room anymore—I felt like I was walking through molasses. Each step was a battle against the weight of my breaking heart.

I grabbed my suitcase from the closet and started haphazardly throwing clothes in. My hands were shaking, and I knocked over a stack of books on the nightstand.

“Shit,” I muttered, bending to pick them up. That’s when I saw it—a photo that had fallen out from between the pages. My breath caught in my throat as I picked it up.

It was us. Me, Ethan, and Ava, the night we’d seen the shooting star. I’d printed out the shots of the stars for Ava’s school project, but I’d printed this one out, too. Ava was snuggled between the two of us. Ethan had a ridiculous look of surprise on his face because he had no idea Ava was taking a photo. I was on the other side of Ava, grinning. We looked blurry, but . . . happy. Like a family.

Tears filled my eyes. “Oh, god,” I whispered, sinking onto the bed. The realization hit me like a tidal wave—this wasn’t just about leaving a job or a house. I was losing the family I’d grown to love.

I’d been convinced that Ethan was different.

But I’d been wrong.

Just like Vlad, he didn’t want me. I should have been stronger. I should have known better.

Never. Again.

I didn’t see Ethan on the way out. I kept my eyes ahead, looking into the future. It felt empty.

Chapter 22

Ethan, Two Months Later

Ican tell you,down to the day, how long a person’s smell lingers on bedsheets.

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