Ethan’s Pov“Our relationship is for cameras and the public. That’s all it ever will be, there’s nothing real between us.”Ava’s words strike a hole through my heart. I thought things were going well, I thought that maybe despite everything, she was starting to really see me for me and not Ethan the
“Nope!”She giggled.“But you can teach me… as a friend.” I took a few steps closer to her, our shoulders brushed as she continued stirring the mixture. “Are you sure?” Her tone is light and teasing. I inhaled deeply, happy to be surrounded by her scent once again. The smell of her lilac shampoo, t
With the chairman elections coming up, he wanted to make sure we were seen on the TV as much as possible. We needed as much publicity as we could get.I was worried, at first, that it would interfere with the volunteering at the children’s home, but the appearances were mostly in the evening. That w
I burst through the front door a panting heaving mess, Ethan shook his head and tapped on his watch.“Hurry and freshen up!” He called after me as I bounded up the stairs, “We have to leave in ten minutes.”I got changed quickly and combed through my knotted hair. Luckily with my new looks, it didn’
Ava’s PovEthan came home from work the next day telling me that he’s increased the amount of public appearances we will be making. Apparently, he received dozens of invitations every day, but only accepted the ones that seemed the most prestigious.With the chairman elections coming up, he wanted t
“Thank you!” I gave him a quick side hug, waved to the kids, and ran down the street back to the house. Luckily, Ethan and I didn’t live far.I burst through the front door a panting heaving mess, Ethan shook his head and tapped on his watch.“Hurry and freshen up!” He called after me as I bounded u
Ethan heard my scream and burst into my bedroom. He was wearing only pajama pants without a shirt. He had a bat in his hand, ready to fight someone.“Ava!” He shouted as he looked around, eyes squinting in the darkness of my room. “Are you okay?”“No!” The words caught in my throat and I thrust the
Everyone thinks that Ethan is being manipulated by me, that I’m some master manipulator that can bewitch good men.I spent the next two days in my bed. Ethan eventually came in and asked me to get up.“I don’t want to,” I murmured, cheeks hurting from the excessive crying I’d been doing lately.“Ava
Ethan’s face morphed into one of ecstasy and despair mixed together. He had found me, he found his son, but he missed the first three years of his son’s life. He missed his birth, my pregnancy, he never got to pick the name.Part of me felt guilty for hiding him away all these years, but I knew in m
It’s been three years since I saw Ethan. Three years since that night when I escaped Andrew. Three years since I found out I was pregnant with Ethan’s son.I named him James.My mother and I had run ‘Wonder Dough’ bakery ever since we escaped. It was flourishing within the new city that we inhabited
I bit my lip, hearing Ethan’s voice was enough to cause my heart to skip a beat.“If you do not back down, I will take one of Ava’s fingers for every failed business deal you cause me,” Andrew growled. I took a step away from the door, still listening. My breathing became ragged.“Why do I care?” Et
Running away from Ethan that night was one of the hardest things I’d ever had to do. Only followed by having to pretend to be madly in love with Baron.After I left Ethan in the bathroom, I went back to Baron and wrapped my arms around him. The same arms that were previously around Ethan’s shoulder
Barging into the bathroom, I let the tears of stress and heartache flow freely down my face. I gripped the marble countertop and let my head fall as I sobbed. I didn’t know how much longer I could take this.“Ava?” Ethan’s voice echoed in the empty bathroom.I quickly wiped my eyes and turned to see
Baron told me he loved me. He said he always had, even when he knew I was with Ethan. He said he loved me, and I didn’t say it back.I couldn’t even stomach the idea of loving someone like Baron back.“Baron said he loves me,” I told Andrew one night over dinner. My mother took dinner in her room, s
Even if it also broke mine.“Ethan,” I gave Andrew a sideways glance, “I can’t go back with you.”“Why?” Ethan pleaded, “What happened that made you leave me?”I furrowed my brow and cocked my head to the side. As if he didn’t know? He acted as though he didn’t ignore me for a week and immediately r
Ethan’s Point of View- Ava leaving was one of the worst things to happen in my life. The day I went to work extra early, I came home to an empty house.Ava and I hadn’t been talking, but I was always hyper-aware of where she was in the house, what she was doing, whether she was taking care of herse
Ethan left after I told him who my father was. He wanted nothing to do with me, or he needed time to think it over. I didn’t know, he didn’t say anything.I didn’t see him for days. He avoided me every chance he got, and it tore apart my heart each time I woke up to an empty bed. He started sleeping