Ihad my bag slung over my shoulder, once again filled with travel potions and snacks. After Ethan left last night, I finished making the entire batch of leftover dough, so the munchies this time weren’t protein bars; they were two dozen of my finest chocolate chip cookies.
What could I say? I was in a bitchy mood and chocolate made me feel better.
I pulled the door open only to squeak in alarm. A man stood on the porch, his hand raised to knock.
“Ethan,” I breathed.
His gaze trailed to the bag I held. “Going somewhere?”
“Yes. Can I help you?”
“I’ll escort you.”
“No.” He’d made his feelings very clear last night.
“Yes,” Ethan growled. “I want to talk to you.”
“We already talked.” I brushed past him to stalk into the woods. While I could use my travel potions inside, I tried not to. Sometimes I was off balance when I popped back in, and I’d broken more than one lamp that way.
Ethan trailed me. “Moira.”
“Leave me alone.”
He jogged up beside me and kept pace, his long-legged gait easily keeping up with my shorter stride.
“Look. I’m sorry. I was an asshole last night.”
“You were.”
He snorted. “Where are you going?”
“None of your business.”
“Then it won’t matter if I come with you, will it?”
I stopped walking and spun to face him. “Go. Away.”
He smiled at me, a genuine amused smile, the one that always took my breath away. I saw the Ethan I knew, the one before our lives had fallen apart. My thoughts stuttered.
“Come on, Moira. You’re alone. I’m sure you want the company.”
He couldn’t remember that I didn’t like being alone because he didn’t remember me. “You won’t like where I’m going.”
Ethan shrugged. “Maybe I want some company, too.”
“Fine.” I dug in my purse and shoved a glowing bottle at him. “When we get to the forest, drink the entire bottle, take my hand, and do not let me go no matter what happens.”
Ethan’s brow furrowed. He held up the bottle and shook it, sending the glittering particles swirling. “It looks pretty, but I bet it tastes like shit.”
I clapped him on the back. “You’d be right about that.”
We walked in companionable silence until we reached the edge of the woods. I held out my hand. “Come on.”
Ethan’s palm slid against mine, and I had to turn my head to hide my smile. Touching him felt right.
“Bottoms up,” I said and tipped my potion back.
“Bottoms up,” Ethan repeated and did the same.
