Never His Second Choice Chapter 06
A whole month of silence, and that was the first thing he said to me?
Casual. Arrogant. He still, deep down, looked down on me.
I swallowed the anger and answered with a calm that surprised even me:
“Ethan, I love my job. I’m not quitting.”
There was a two-second pause on his end. Then a low, mirthless laugh.
“Lena, don’t you think you’re being ridiculous? Running off to Austin without a word—it’s obvious you wanted my attention.”
“Congratulations. You got it.”
“Now buy a ticket to Seattle. Or go home to Ohio. There’s still a chance for us to work this out.”
My fingers went white around the phone. My anger flared up hot.
“Ethan. The day I said we were done, I never once considered getting back together.”
His breath caught for a beat.
“Lena, you’re emotional right now. You’re not making rational decisions. We’ll talk in a few days.”
He hung up.
A tissue appeared in front of me. It was Sam, from the team next to ours.
He was looking at me with concern.
“Here. Wipe your face.”
I touched my cheek and only then realized it was wet with tears.
I thanked him quietly and went to the restroom to splash cold water on my face.
When I came out, Sam was still standing there, looking hesitant. Finally, he spoke:
“Sorry… I couldn’t help overhearing. The best way to move on, honestly, is just to look forward. You’re amazing—there’s a line of great guys who’d be lucky to have you.”
Sam enthusiastically offered to introduce me to his Ivy League friends, but I wasn’t in the mood.
Still, I liked Sam. He became my closest friend in Austin.
I ended up going over to his place for dinner several times. His family was warm and welcoming.
His older brother, Owen, was an architect. A real gentleman.
One night a downpour hit and I couldn’t catch a cab. Owen happened to be driving by and offered me a ride home.
The wipers thumped back and forth. Owen’s long lashes fluttered like a butterfly’s wings. He said softly:
“Lena… would it be okay if I picked you up after work tomorrow?”
Between adults, some things don’t need to be spelled out.
My ears burned. I nodded, small and shy.
The next day, when I ran out for afternoon coffee, Sam suddenly elbowed me, excited.
“Holy—Lena, five o’clock. There’s a couple over there straight out of a magazine!”
I turned and saw Nina, standing on her tiptoes, waving.
“Lena! We came to see you!”
Ethan stood a few paces behind her. His eyes were dark on my face.
Sam leaned in and lowered his voice:
“Lena, how do you know a couple that hot?”
I twisted my mouth into something like a smile.
“That’s my ex. And my former best friend.”
Sam shut his mouth immediately. When he looked at them again, there was wariness in his eyes.
“Lena, is this your new friend?”
Nina offered Sam her sweet, harmless smile.
Nina was pretty and easy-going—people rarely disliked her.
But Sam only gave her a cold nod and completely ignored her warmth.
He knew the whole tangled history between the three of us. He wasn’t inclined to be nice.
It was probably the first time in Nina’s life anyone had been that cold to her. Her smile stiffened.
Naturally, Ethan couldn’t stand to see her uncomfortable. He stepped forward, fixing me with an intent stare.
“Lena, we flew all the way out here to see you. Aren’t you going to play the host?”
I looked away and asked Sam to help me clear the afternoon with our boss.
The rain outside was coming down again.
Ethan only had one umbrella.
Nina had already stepped in under it without missing a beat.