06
The happiest one about me and Ethan being
done was Ashley.
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We had a fight.
She didn’t like me, and I didn’t like her.
We were both women, and we could both see
what the other was doing.
Soon, I got a package.
The sender was Ashley.
But the return address was Ethan’s beach
house.
I opened it. It was the gifts he’d given me that
I didn’t want.
I put them away.
I was sad.
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Ethan hated Ashley.
How did things get like this?
How did he end up being close to Ashley?
Soon after, my cousin called.
She mentioned Ethan as usual.
Saying how caring he was and that he went
to visit her mom, and even got my nephew
toys.
Four years ago, Ethan came to my cousin’s
engagement party with me.
Before that, I told him that my parents passed
away and that my aunt took me in.
<
He seemed careless at all times, but he was
super thoughtful and considered everything.
He had a really big envelope.
I was quiet.
I asked, “When did this happen?”
My cousin said, “A couple of days ago.
‘He didn’t look too good. I asked him why you
weren’t with him, but he didn’t respond.”
I took a breath.
What was he doing?
He had decided to leave me alone, so why
was he doing these things behind my back?
<
Didn’t he know that it was making it hard for
me to move on?
That wasn’t what he wanted.
“If he goes there again, don’t let him in. We
aren’t going to contact each other. I told him I
liked him and he turned me down.”
My cousin was quiet for a moment, then tried
to comfort me.
Soon after, she and my aunt introduced me to
some guys.
My head was spinning.
My aunt just wanted me to settle down.
She had thought that Ethan and I were going
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to be together, and now she was worried.
I was exhausted, so I met a couple of guys.
I ran into Ethan after the second date.
I walked out of the room and bumped into
Ethan.
He was wearing a white shirt and black pants,
his face showed no emotion. He looked much
colder than a month ago.
When he saw me, he took a step forward.
Then, he stopped, and looked away.
Like he didn’t see me.
But his friends had seen me. They didn’t know
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that Ethan and I had a fight.
They asked me to have dinner with them.
Finn glanced at Ethan. “Liv is coming from a
date, she’s already eaten, so let’s not force
her.”
Right after, one of the guys got a phone call.
He talked, then hung up.
Then, he told Ethan, “Ashley asked where we
were. She’s coming.”
His tone was so casual. Like it happened all
the time.
But I remembered how Ethan had always
refused to let other girls send messages.
<
I was thinking, and then I heard Ethan’s voice.
“Give her the address.”
Then, he looked at me and said, “You can join
us.” His tone was stiff.
I thought for a moment. “Okay.”
