“That’s terrible. Poor Ethan,” Rachel said. “Still, if nothing else, at least he found his glass slipper.”
Chapter 55
It had been one hell of a month, Ethan thought. But now at least, life had gotten back to that normal comfortable rhythm he was used to.
No surprises, no drama.
For Daisy’s sake, he tried to appear okay. Every now and then, though, he caught her staring at him with a peculiar look on her face, keenly aware of what he was doing and his moods.
He tried not to think about Vanessa and the fool she’d made of him.
Clearly she’d tipped Brian off, and Ethan had been avoiding calls from his so-called friend ever since. He wasn’t interested in excuses and explanations, and while he was hurt by their betrayal, he was also taken aback by how little it actually bothered him.
If he truly did love Vanessa, if he really felt deep down in his heart that she was the right person for him, then by rights, he should be inconsolable.
But he wasn’t. Instead, he felt almost…numbed by recent events. The mix-up with the ring, the complications in trying to get it back, it was all such a big mess, there was no rhyme or reason to it.
However, he knew he needed to be strong for his girl now and stop mooning over what might have been.
It was the end of a long week, and he was wrapping up his duties at the university. He left campus and took a cab to Daisy’s friend Tanya’s house. Now that Vanessa was out of the picture, she often went there after school until Ethan finished his lectures.
He knocked on the door, and Tanya’s mother answered. “Oh, hello, Ethan. Come inside. The girls are playing upstairs.”
Ethan knew the routine. Once Daisy came down to collect her things, Janice would try and insist they stay for dinner. Although it was never said, he knew the other girl’s mum was convinced he was a clueless bachelor who couldn’t possibly understand his daughter, let alone cook her a good meal.
Sure enough, as soon as the girls thundered into the room, Janice looked at him. “Tell me that you two will stay for dinner. We have plenty.”
“Thank you again, but Daisy and I have things to do tonight.”
He had planned a fun evening for the two of them. He was going to cook her favorite meal or eat junk food and stay up late to watch a movie, whatever she liked.
Janice smiled and nodded. “Perhaps another night?” she suggested, and Ethan idly wondered if the woman had taken some kind of shine to him now that he was once again unattached.
He hoped not. More hassle of that kind was the last thing he needed.
“So how was your day?” Daisy asked as they walked home.
He reached for her hand. “It was pretty good. The best part, though, is that it’s Friday and I get to spend tonight with my special girl.”
“And who’s your special girl?” she asked, looking sideways at him.
“I don’t know. Let me think for a minute,” he joked, figuring she was teasing. Then he looked down and saw that her expression was solemn. “You are of course,” he insisted, starting to tickle her. “Who else?”
She sighed. “I wish I knew.”
Ethan regarded her thoughtfully, worried that this was yet another phase she was going through.
Since the incident in Dublin, Daisy had seemed dissatisfied. He didn’t think she was missing Vanessa or anything, more that she was disappointed in him for some reason.
“So what movie do you fancy watching tonight?” he asked, deciding to change the subject.
Daisy looked up at him as if he hadn’t spoken. “Are you upset about Vanessa?” she asked.
Ethan looked at her. “Of course I was at first. You know that,” he admitted. “But ultimately, I realized we weren’t right for each other.”
She furrowed her brow, clearly thinking hard. “So who is right for you, Dad?”
He grinned. “You are, buttercup. You know that. You’re the only lady in my life, and I’m happy to keep it that way.”
