Page 84 of When We Are Falling

It’s very hard to resist the urge to defend Ethan, which surprises me. “Look, I just want to talk, face to face. Maybe we can clear the air.” I try to keep my tone light, hopeful. “Why don’t you come by the Tavern? Or my house. I’m staying with my mom at the moment. I can text you the address if you’ve forgotten.”

There’s a pause, and when David speaks again, his voice is colder than ever. “I remember where you live, Blake.”

There’s a brief, intense silence before the line goes dead with a click, and I’m left staring at the receiver. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

A knock at the door startles me. My heart wedges in my throat, and for a split second, I wonder if it’s David, if he was outside the whole time, and my chest goes tight. But then I hear a familiar soft bark—Bandit.

I hurry to the door, a new kind of tension taking up residence in my chest as I pull it open. Ethan stands there, mud streaked on his clothes from the wetlands, a day’s growth of stubble on the hard line of his jaw, but his expression is soft, almost hesitant, those gray eyes drinking me in. Bandit shoves his nose into my hand, tail wagging, and a smile breaks through, despite everything.

“Hey.” His voice is low, cautious.

“Hey.”

He holds out a small potted peace lily, its white blooms delicate against the dark green leaves. “I brought this for you,”he says softly. “Thought it might bring a little peace to your day after last night.”

I take the plant from him, holding it against my chest like a shield. “Thank you. It’s beautiful.”

“I’m sorry,” he says, stepping closer. “For everything. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just care about you so damn much, and I’m scared of losing you.”

Looking at his face, that impossibly handsome face I’ve come to see as mine, looking so regretful, causes some of the anger from last night to soften. “Thanks for coming over.”

“Is that woman okay?”

“Yeah, as well as can be expected. She was glad to see a familiar face last night.” A pause as I grapple with my own feelings. “Look, I’m sorry, too. I probably overreacted to that ultimatum you gave me, but I was angry about the way you wouldn’t take no for an answer. I still am. I need to feel like I’m in control of my own life. Do you understand?”

He steps even closer, his hand reaching out to cup my cheek. “I do. And we’ll figure this out. We’re in this together, right?”

“Right.” But even as I say it, a part of me is still holding back, retreating into the safety of the walls I’ve spent years building. He wants to get inside, to be the one I rely on, but I’m just not ready. And deep down, I’m scared that I might never be. Letting him in means risking everything—risking the kind of pain I’ve spent my life trying to avoid.

I take a step back, the warmth of his hand still lingering on my cheek, but the distance between us feels more than just physical. There’s recognition in his eyes—he sees it, too—a flicker of understanding that makes my heart ache.

His jaw tightens slightly, and there’s a brief, almost imperceptible flash of hurt in his expression. It’s like we’re caught in a stalemate, neither sure what move to make next, neither of us willing to walk away.

A glance at my watch. “I was just about to leave for work.” My voice sounds steadier than I feel, the words an excuse to put some space between us, even though they’re true.

Ethan nods. “I’ll walk you out.”

I grab my keys and bag, and we walk to my car parked on the street, Bandit running ahead, sniffing the street light, the weight of everything left unsaid pressing down on us. When we reach my car, we stop, the moment stretching out.

“I’ll see you later?” he asks, his voice hopeful.

“Yeah,” I say. “Later.”

He leans in, pressing a soft kiss to my cheek before stepping back. “See you soon.”

“You too,” I reply, climbing into my car.

As I start the engine, I glance in the rearview mirror, watching as he and Bandit head back to his truck. The sight tugs at something deep inside me, but I push it down, focusing on the road ahead.

The distance between us feels wide, filled with landmines that could destroy us both, and I grip the steering wheel a little tighter, wondering if we’ll find a way through this.

Chapter 39

Ethan

I parkon Main Street near the Tavern after another long day with the boys at the wetlands. The sun’s already dipping toward the horizon, casting everything in shades of gold, but the beauty of Harbor’s Edge only sets my nerves on edge.

I glance over at the passenger seat, where a bouquet of flowers rests, multi-hued petals vibrant and hopeful. I picked them up thinking maybe they’d be a small step in the right direction. I hope giving her flowers a second time isn’t too much, but what else can I do?

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