Every word, every look, every thinly veiled insult. By the time he finished, Victoria's expression was ice. Give me her name. Victoria, her full name and her husband's name, if she has one. Why?
Because I'm going to make a few calls. You can't watch me, Victoria. This isn't your fight. She stepped closer, her eyes blazing. Yes, it is.
Because you're mine now, and Ava's mine, and no one gets to hurt what's mine. His breath caught. I'm yours. Her expression softened. If you want to be, I do.
Then let me do this. Do what? What I do best? Handle people who think they're untouchable. He wanted to argue, wanted to tell her it wasn't necessary.
But the truth was, he was tired. Tired of fighting alone, tired of being judged, tired of pretending everything was fine when it wasn't. "Okay," he said. "Okay, do what you need to do. " She kissed him hard and fast. I'll take care of it.
How? You'll see. She left before he could ask more questions. Two days later, Margaret Morrison called him. Mr. Blake, I wanted to apologize.
He almost dropped the phone. Excuse me. I was out of line. I let my emotions get the better of me. Tyler told me more about what he said to Ava, and I realize now that he was wrong.
We were wrong. What changed your mind? A pause. Let's just say I had a very enlightening conversation with someone who made me see things differently. Who?
It doesn't matter. What matters is that I'm sorry and I hope we can move forward. Does Tyler know you're calling? He does. He wants to apologize, too.
Ethan didn't know what to say. Mr. Blake. Yeah. Okay. We can move forward.
Thank you. She hung up. Ethan immediately called Victoria. What did you do? I made a few calls.
Victoria, her husband works for a company I have investments in. I simply had a conversation with his supervisor about workplace culture and family values. You didn't. I did and I'd do it again. That's effective.
He laughed despite himself. Yeah. That no one messes with my family. Your family? Yes.
You and Ava. You're my family now. His chest felt too full. Victoria, don't just accept it. Okay.
Good. They stayed on the phone for another hour talking about nothing and everything. When they finally hung up, Ethan sat in the quiet of his apartment and realized something had shifted. He wasn't alone anymore. None of them were.
The following week, things settled into a new rhythm. Victoria started coming over more often, not just Fridays, but Tuesdays and Wednesdays, too. She'd bring dinner sometimes or just show up and help with homework. Ava soaked up the attention like a plant finding sun after years in shade. One night after Ava was asleep, Victoria and Ethan sat on the couch with glasses of wine neither of them was really drinking.
"I have to tell you something," Victoria said. "Okay, the board wants me to take on more, expand internationally. It would mean more travel, more hours. " His stomach sank and and I told them no. He looked at her. What?
I told them I'm restructuring my role, delegating more, focusing on strategy instead of day-to-day operations. Why? She set her glass down and took his hand. Because I don't want to miss this, any of this. I've spent my entire adult life chasing success, and I finally have everything I thought I wanted.
But it doesn't mean anything if I can't share it with someone. Victoria, I'm in love with you, Ethan. I'm in love with Ava. I'm in love with this messy, imperfect life you've built, and I don't want to miss it because I'm too busy working. He couldn't breathe.
Say something, she whispered. I love you, too. She kissed him. And this time, there was no hesitation, no fear, just certainty. When they pulled apart, she was smiling.
So, what now? Now we figure out what this looks like. Together. Together. She leaned her head on his shoulder.
I like the sound of that. Me, too. They sat there in the quiet, the future uncertain, but no longer terrifying because whatever came next, they'd face it together. And that was enough. The first real test came 3 weeks later.
Ethan was closing up the bookstore when his phone rang. Victoria's name flashed on the screen, but when he answered, it wasn't her voice he heard. Mr. Blake, this is Diane from Miss Hail's office. There's been an accident. The world tilted.
What kind of accident? Car accident. She's at Mercy General. She asked me to call you. He was running before Diane finished the sentence.
He called his sister from the car, begged her to pick up Ava from the after school program, didn't wait for her to ask questions. His hands shook on the steering wheel. His mind raced through every terrible possibility. The hospital was chaos. Sirens, people shouting, the fluorescent lights too bright.
He found the reception desk and gave Victoria's name, his voice barely working. Room 314, third floor. He took the stairs two at a time. When he burst into the room, Victoria was sitting upright in the bed, arguing with a nurse about discharge papers. I'm fine, she was saying.
I don't need to stay overnight. Miss Hail, you have a concussion. A mild concussion. Still a concussion. Ethan stopped in the doorway, breathing hard.
Victoria looked up and saw him, her expression softened. Ethan. He crossed the room in three steps, not caring about the nurse or the monitors or anything else. He took Victoria's face in his hands, checking for injuries. There was a bandage above her right eyebrow, a bruise blooming on her cheek, but she was alive.
She was okay. "You scared the hell out of me," he said. "I'm sorry. What happened? " Someone ran a red light, hit my passenger side. The car's total, but I'm fine.
You have a concussion? A mild one? Victoria? I'm fine, she said again, but her voice cracked on the last word. He pulled her into his arms, careful not to hurt her.
She buried her face in his shoulder, and he felt her shake. "I'm okay," she whispered. "I'm okay. " But she didn't sound okay. She sounded terrified. The nurse cleared her throat.
"I'll give you two a moment. " She left, closing the door behind her. Victoria pulled back, wiping her eyes. This is ridiculous. I'm not hurt. I don't know why I'm You almost died.
I didn't. You could have. She looked at him and he saw the fear she was trying so hard to hide. I know. What were you thinking?
Arguing about leaving? You need to stay here. Let them monitor you. I hate hospitals. I know, but you're staying.
Ethan, I'm not arguing about this. You're staying and I'm staying with you. You have Ava. My sister has Ava. I'm not leaving you alone.
She opened her mouth to argue, then closed it. Okay. Okay. Okay. He sat on the edge of the bed, still holding her hand.
They stayed like that for a long time, neither speaking. I kept thinking about you, Victoria said quietly. When the other car hit. In that split second before everything went black, I thought about you and Ava, about how I wouldn't get to see you again. His throat tightened.
But you did. You're here. I'm here. And you're not going anywhere. She squeezed his hand.
No, I'm not. The nurse returned with paperwork. Victoria had to stay for observation, 24 hours minimum. Ethan called his sister, explained the situation, and settled in for a long night. Around midnight, Victoria finally fell asleep.
Ethan sat in the uncomfortable chair beside her bed, watching her breathe. Every rise and fall of her chest felt like a miracle. His phone buzzed. A text from his sister. Ava's asking for you and for Victoria.