None of that comes, however.
Marta just stares at Ethan at the foot of her bed for a long moment.
"You know this is going to be hard, don't you?" she says to her son, and he nods.
"I know."
"And you understand what you might have to give up?"
"Yes. I'm willing to take the risk," Ethan answers without even blinking.
"You really do love them." This time it's not a question, just a statement, but he smiles and answers anyway.
"A lot, Mom," he says, and it seems to resonate straight into my chest. My heart beats so hard that I consider calling my own mom to ask if this couldn't be a heart attack. I'm sure my hand is sweating a lot against Miss Marta's, but she doesn't complain or let go, just breaks into a slight smile after a few more moments.
"Then I'll be here to support you every step of the way," she says, like it's the simplest thing in the world and not that she'd processed and accepted the idea of her son's three-way relationship in less than ten minutes.
Ethan breaks into a giant smile and wipes away a tear that escapes.
"Thank you, Mom. I love you so much."
"I love you more," she assures, and then squeezes my hand and Logan's, bringing both closer to her chest. "And now I'll love you as an extension of him too."
Good Lord.
I was going to cry.
And have a panic attack.
Or hug that woman and never let go.
Maybe all at once.
Chapter 40
Charlotte
Now that I stop to think about it, I actually held it together for a pretty long time. We said goodbye to Ethan's mom and his whole family, packed our things and Katniss's into the car, and even stopped to eat at a local restaurant before hitting the road toward Frosthaven.
And I only lost it once we'd already driven a good twelve miles.
"Stop the car, Ethan," I ask suddenly, and he furrows his brow, looking at me from the corner of his eye.
Since I'm about to cry, all I can do is repeat:
"Just stop the car, please." He must have sensed the desperation in my voice, because he obeys and pulls onto the shoulder, stopping the Jeep.
I open the door and get out in a panic, gulping down air like I'd spent all this time suffocating.
And maybe I was, but it was in my own thoughts. I crouch down and rest my head in my hands, staring at the ground. Tears fall out of my control.
Ethan and Logan reach my side in two seconds.
"Peach, are you feeling sick?"
"What are you feeling, princess? We can go back to the hospital and..."
As I hear them sound so tender and genuinely worried, I finally explode. I jump to my feet.
