Breaking the Chains

21

Ethan

I said goodbye to Riley and headed back to my apartment next door. The moment I stepped inside, the nerves hit me again like a freight train. My chest felt tight, my palms were sweaty, and my mind was racing with every possible way this could go horribly wrong.

I paced back and forth in my tiny living room, unable to sit still. My anxiety had reached the point where I was gnawing on my fingernails—a nasty habit I couldn’t seem to break when I was extremely stressed. I hated how I always spiraled like this.

Luna, my gray cat, rubbed against my feet, purring softly. Normally, she was a calming presence, but right now, I couldn’t deal with her either. “Not now, Luna,” I muttered, gently pushing her away with my foot.

She let out an indignant screech before swiping at my ankle with her claws. “Ow! Luna!” I yelped, glaring at her as a stinging scratch appeared on my skin. She hissed at me, tail flicking angrily, before darting off into my bedroom.

“Fine! Be like that!” I shouted after her, more out of frustration with myself than her. I sank onto the couch, clutching my throbbing ankle.

Just then, the doorbell rang, startling me out of my pity party. My heart leaped. For a moment, I thought it might be Riley coming to check on me. Maybe he’d sensed my breakdown and decided to intervene.

I opened the door, expecting his calm, collected face. Instead, I was greeted by the fiery presence of Ava, my best friend, and my ultimate support system. Her bright red hair was tied up in a messy ponytail, and she had that signature no-nonsense look in her green eyes.

“What the fuck, Ethan?” she said, barging in before I could even say hello. “The wedding is in a few hours, and you’re sitting here sulking? What the hell are you doing?”

“I—” I started, but she cut me off, holding up a hand dramatically.

“Don’t even try to make an excuse,” she snapped, glaring at me. “You look like you’re about to call this whole thing off, aren’t you?”

“Well…” I hesitated, scratching the back of my neck. “I was thinking about texting Riley and, uh, canceling everything.”

Ava froze for a second before narrowing her eyes. Without warning, she smacked me lightly on the back of my head. “Are you absolutely mad?”

“Ow!” I yelped, rubbing the spot she’d hit. “What was that for?”

“For being an idiot!” she declared, hands on her hips. “Do you even realize how perfect this plan is? Riley is hot. Ridiculously handsome. Sexy as hell. Honestly, Ethan, he’s a dreamboat. And he’s helping you make that cheating bastard Liam regret every second he ever hurt you. You can’t back out now!”

I groaned, collapsing onto the couch. “Ava, you don’t get it. I feel like I’m going to mess this whole thing up. Riley is so… put together, and I’m just… me. What if I ruin everything?”

Ava sat down beside me, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Listen to me, Ethan. You’re overthinking this, as usual. Riley wouldn’t have agreed to this if he didn’t think you could pull it off. You’re not going to ruin anything. And honestly? Liam deserves to see you happy and thriving, even if it’s just pretend.”

“But it’s not just Liam,” I admitted, my voice quieter now. “It’s me. I don’t feel ready for this. I keep thinking about all the ways it could go wrong.”

Ava’s expression softened, and she squeezed my shoulder. “I know it’s scary, Ethan. But you can’t let that fear stop you. You deserve this moment. You deserve to show Liam what he lost.”

I looked at her, my chest tightening with gratitude. Ava always knew how to pull me out of my head.

“Besides,” she added with a smirk, “you get to parade around with Riley on your arm. If that’s not a win, I don’t know what is.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, the tension in my chest easing slightly. “You really think I can do this?”

“I know you can,” Ava said confidently. Then she stood up, brushing her hands together like she’d just solved all my problems. “Now, get up and start getting ready. You need to look drop-dead gorgeous for this wedding. Riley deserves a partner who matches his level of perfection.”

I groaned but stood up anyway. “Alright, alright. But if this backfires, I’m blaming you.”

She grinned. “Fair enough. Now, let’s pick out something that screams ‘I’m way too good for you, Liam.’”

As she dragged me toward my closet, I felt a flicker of hope. Maybe, just maybe, this crazy plan would work after all.

----

I grabbed a few outfits from my closet and tossed them onto the bed. Ava looked over them with a scrutinizing gaze, tapping her finger against her chin like she was sizing me up for a fashion show.

“Okay, I see what you did here,” she said, picking up the black leather jacket Riley had insisted I buy yesterday. “This jacket... it’s perfect. You’re gonna look like you’re about to crush Liam’s soul in this.”

I smirked, trying to shake off the nervousness bubbling up inside me. “I don't know. I don’t want to go overboard, you know?”

Ava gave me a look that could have melted steel. “Overboard? You need to show up looking like you're thriving. Liam needs to see what he lost, and trust me, this jacket says it all.”

I nodded slowly, feeling a little better about my choice. “Okay, you’re right. And what about this shirt?” I held up the white fitted shirt Riley had practically shoved into my arms at the store.

Ava raised an eyebrow. “This is a solid move. Clean, simple, but it highlights your... assets.”

I rolled my eyes. “My ‘assets’ are not the problem here.”

“Sure,” she said, winking at me, “but they do help. Now, go shower. You’re already stressing me out just by standing here.”

I laughed but didn’t argue. Ava was right. I was getting in my own head too much. The water in the shower was like a brief reprieve from my spiraling thoughts, but even as I scrubbed off the tension, I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling in the back of my mind.

By the time I finished and came back into my room, the door was wide open, and I could hear crunching noises coming from my bed. I walked in and froze at the sight of Ava lounging on my bed, chips scattered on her stomach as she casually tossed a few into her mouth. Luna was nestled at her feet, purring contently as Ava absentmindedly stroked her fur with one hand.

“Nice to see you’ve made yourself comfortable,” I said dryly, leaning against the doorframe.

Ava didn’t even glance up, too busy stuffing her face. “Don’t mind me. I’m just making sure your cat doesn’t claw the crap out of me while I’m here. She’s always been a little... territorial.”

Luna shot me an annoyed look, like she wasn’t too thrilled to share her human with anyone, but she seemed to tolerate Ava well enough.

“Where’s the fashion show?” Ava finally asked, her voice muffled as she chewed.

“Right here.” I pulled the leather jacket and white shirt from the bed and tossed them on. “What do you think?”

She finally looked up from the chips, nodding her approval. “Hot damn, Ethan. You look... seriously good. Liam’s gonna be choking on his regret.”

I ran a hand through my damp hair, trying to keep the nerves at bay. “I don’t know if I can do this, Ava. I feel like I’m walking into a lion’s den.”

She tossed a chip into the air and caught it in her mouth, giving me a flat look. “You’ve got this. You’re not the one who’s about to get publicly humiliated, remember? Liam is. And Riley? That man is way too good for you to be doubting this plan.”

I didn’t respond right away. Instead, I sat on the edge of the bed and glanced at Luna, who had now made herself comfortable by curling up next to me. She purred loudly, and I absently scratched behind her ears.

Ava sighed, her voice turning more serious. “You’re gonna walk in there and show Liam that you’re not the guy who lets people walk all over him. You’re stronger than that, Ethan. And you’ve got Riley on your side. What more could you need?”

I gave a small, tight smile, feeling the weight of her words. Maybe she was right. Maybe this wasn’t about showing Liam he was wrong—it was about showing myself that I had the strength to move on.

“You’re right,” I said, more to myself than to her. “Alright, I’ll go. But if anything goes wrong, you’ll be hearing from me.”

Ava smirked, popping another chip into her mouth. “That’s the spirit. Just don’t screw up and let Riley down. He’s the real prize here.”

“I’m starting to believe you might have a thing for him,” I teased, rolling my eyes as I stood up.

Ava raised an eyebrow. “Oh, trust me, I have a very strong appreciation for his looks. But he’s your guy, not mine.”

“Right. Let’s get this over with,” I muttered, gathering my courage as I adjusted my jacket and took a deep breath.

Ava tossed me a wink as I headed for the door. “You’ve got this, Ethan. Go show Liam what he’s missing.”