He's quiet for a long moment. When he speaks, his voice is rough. "You're everything I want and nothing I can have."
The honesty of it steals my breath.
"Ethan."
"You should go."
"I don't want to."
"I know. But you should anyway."
We stand there looking at each other. All the things we're not saying hang in the air between us. Heavy. Impossible.
Finally, I move toward the door. Stop with my hand on the knob.
"For what it's worth," I say without turning around. "I think you're wrong about Luke. About all of it."
"Maybe, but I can't take that risk."
I nod and open the door. The night air hits my face, it’s cool and sharp.
"Callie." Ethan's voice stops me. "The delivery on Memorial Day, you'll need help loading the truck."
"I'll figure it out."
"Let me help. Before I leave."
I turn to look at him. "Why?"
"Because I said I would. Because Luke's counting on it. Because—" He stops.
"Because what?"
"Because I want to see you one more time. Even if I shouldn't."
The admission hurts more than his earlier rejections. There's something final about it. Something that sounds like goodbye in a way his words at the shop didn't.
"Sunday," I say. "Five AM."
"I'll be there."
I walk to my car without looking back. Drive away with his cabin shrinking in the rearview mirror. My hands are steady on the wheel even though everything inside me is shaking.
By the time I get home, it's past ten. My apartment is dark and cold. I don't turn on any lights. Just go straight to bed and lie there staring at the ceiling.
My phone is on the nightstand. Silent.
I almost kissed him. We were seconds away from crossing the line we've been dancing around for months. And then Luke called, and reminded us both why we can't have this.
I roll over and bury my face in the pillow. Tomorrow I'll be fine. Tomorrow I'll go back to work and focus on the business and pretend tonight never happened.
Tonight I let myself feel everything. The want and the frustration and the anger at Luke for being a barrier he doesn't even know he's creating.
My phone buzzes.
I grab it without thinking. Hope and dread mixing in my chest.
Ethan: Drive safe.
