Page 49 of Always and Forever
“Mayor Monroe, I’m not entirely clear as to why you’re here, but you’re interrupting our conversation,” Cole says in an arrogant tone, not giving Ethan a chance to respond to me. “Summer, let’s go into town and sit down over some lunch to discuss things in private. My treat.”
“Would you stop hitting on my girlfriend?” Ethan roars as he turns to face Cole. His face is red, and I can see his chest heaving with emotion.
“Oh my God, Ethan, stop!” I cry out. “He’s not hitting on me; he’s trying to tell me something thatyoushould have told me.”
My words make Ethan freeze in place. Slowly he turns to me, and his anger at Cole is replaced with remorse and fear.
“I’m so sorry, Summer. I should have, I know that. I don’t even know why I didn’t,” Ethan takes the last few steps until he’s right in front of me. I can smell him, his scent calming me, despite my anger at him. “That’s not true. I do know. I was scared. So fucking scared that you would take the offer and disappear from my life again. I didn’t want to lose you.”
“So instead, you decided to lie to me?”
“No, I —"
“You lied to her, Monroe, and to me,” Cole interrupts.
“With respect, Mr. Devereaux, you shouldn’t be here,” Ethan fires back at him, clenching his fists at his side. I put a hand on his shoulder, whether to hold him back or anchor myself, I don’t know.
What I do know, with astounding clarity, is that there’s nothing Cole Devereaux can offer that would make me sell the resort. Not even my hurt and anger at Ethan lying to me is enough to make me run. This is my home, my resort, and I’m not going anywhere.
“Ethan, stop.”
Turning to Cole, I let my hand fall. “I’m very sorry for the miscommunication you experienced, Cole, and I’m equally sorry you came all this way for nothing. I have no interest in selling Oceanside Resort.”
“You haven’t heard my offer.”
“I don’t need to. Thank you for your interest, but we’re done here.”
I stand there, my arms crossed over my chest, staring Cole directly in the eyes. After a moment he nods.
“I understand. I apologize for my part in how this turned out, Summer. And if you ever change your mind, please contact me.” He walks over and hands me a business card. When I take it, our fingers brush, and judging by his flirtatious smirk, it was intentional.
I turn away from them both and walk down to the beach. I can hear Ethan’s footsteps behind me, and the sound of tires on the gravel tells me Cole is thankfully leaving without anymore of a fight.
Now I only have one presumptuous, arrogant man to deal with, not two.
22
Ethan
Fucking Cole Devereaux with his fucking suit and fancy as fuck sportscar. Coming in here and fucking things up.
No, you fucked it up. My conscience pokes at the hole growing in my heart, and it burns like a hot poker. As I follow Summer down to the beach, I’m scrambling on the inside, trying to figure out what to say to make things better. I lied to her. There might not be a way to make that better, but even considering that possibility is making my heart hurt even more.
“Summer, please, can we talk?”
She’s come to a stop down at the water’s edge, and from the way her arms are wrapped around her midsection, I can tell that touching her right now would be a bad idea. Even still, every part of my body aches to pull her into my arms and hold her until she forgives me.
“I don’t know, Ethan, can we talk without you keeping things from me?”
The temperature around us drops several degrees, and not from the weather.
“I’m sorry. I screwed up, and I know it. But please, can you hear me out?” I’m begging, ready to drop to my knees if that’s what it takes. But she won’t even turn around to look at me. “I know —“
“No, Ethan, you don’t get to claim that you knowanythingright now.” She finally whirls around, and the tears tracking down her cheeks make me crumble to dust on the inside.
“Youknowhow I feel about being lied to. You know how important it is to me that we always tell the truth. When Ifell for you, I thought I had found a good man. Someone who would be my partner, who I could trust.”
She laughs, but it’s a hollow sound that will haunt me.
