Page 72 of More Than Words
I turned to the woman standing next to me.“What is she talking about?”
The woman handed me another piece of paper.The official proposal for an outdoor sitting space had been presented.
Small tables, tasteful lighting, seasonal planters.
The entire proposal had been crafted smoothly.It was polished.Planned.
“They just voted,” the woman said.“Right before you walked in.”
My mouth dropped open.
“It’s going to be great, right?”The woman continued.“It’s about time we had a patio in the plaza.It’ll be a real draw.And on a nice warm summer night…”
I stopped listening.My ears buzzed and my vision blurred.
Surely, I misheard.There was no way that Ethan would put this together without talking to me about it.
After all, I was his neighbor.Our doors were only feet away from each other.We already had issues with noise when it came to book club nights.And a patio?With people drinking?Right outside my front door?
And he never even mentioned it.
We were together just over twenty-four hours ago.Together, together.
He could have asked me about it.Discussed what a patio would mean for Plot Twist.But he hadn’t said a word.
Was that intentional?
Ethan knew I wasn’t going to be at the meeting…was that by design?
So I couldn’t protest?
My mind spun.
This couldn’t be happening.
The meeting was adjourned.A whoop of joy caught my attention and I spun, seeing Ethan for the first time, high-fiving Brody in celebration.
I watched while he turned to accept a congratulatory handshake from someone I didn’t recognize.He was smiling and laughing as though he hadn’t just upended my entire world.
Like this wasn’t something that would without a doubt impactmystore,mybusiness,myentire livelihood that I’d worked so hard to rebuild after so many years.
Yet, he’d never brought it up.Not once.Not while we were in my shop decorating, or lying in bed together, or sitting at his kitchen table pretending that we might be able to be something together.Might be able to be afamily.
His eyes met mine then.A second later, his smile faltered.
I didn’t wave.I couldn’t move.I was frozen in place while my whole world shattered around me.
I was such a fool.
I’d been played.
I had to get out of there.
Ethan
Holy.Shit.
That was way easier than I would have guessed.I’d hardly been able to give the whole idea much thought yet, and just like that, with barely a question or a conversation, it was happening.
