---- Chapter 6 Ethan reacted instantly, his arm shooting out to steady me. He pulled me against him, his grip strong. "Whoa there! Careful," he said, his voice laced with genuine concern. For a moment, | was pressed against his chest. | could feel the steady beat of his heart. It was confusing. This was the Ethan | remembered, the one who cared, the one who protected. He'd scraped his own hand on a sharp rock catching me, a long, bloody gash across his palm. "Ethan, your hand!" | exclaimed, pulling away. He glanced at it, then dismissed it with a wave. "It's nothing. Are you okay? You didn't twist your ankle?" He was feigning nonchalance, but | saw the wince of pain he tried to hide. "I'm fine," | said, my voice a little shaky. "But we need to clean that cut. Let's head back." "No, no. We came all this way. The sunset from the fire tower, remember? We can't miss that." He was insistent, that stubborn set to his jaw | knew so well. He wanted this romantic moment, this recreation of the past. So, we stayed. He wrapped his handkerchief around his bleeding hand. We ate the picnic in near silence. ---- As the sun began to dip below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple, he led me up the rickety steps of the old fire tower. At the top, the wind whipped around us. He put his arm around my shoulders. "Make a wish," he whispered, his breath warm against my ear, just like he had all those years ago. He closed his eyes, a hopeful, almost boyish expression on his face. | looked out at the vast expanse, my mind a blank. | had no wishes left for him He opened his eyes, smiling. "What did you wish for?" "| didn't make one," | said. His smile faltered. "Oh." A few minutes later, his phone buzzed. He glanced at it, then quickly put it away. "Signal's bad up here." But | saw the name on the screen. Chloe. He seemed antsy after that. "Getting chilly," he said, though the air was mild. "Maybe we should head down." He started down the steps before | did. | followed slowly, a strange premonition prickling at the back of my neck. At the base of the tower, he paused. "I, uh, need to make a quick call. Reception is better over there." He pointed towards a small clearing a little way off the main path. "Wait here." He disappeared into the trees. | waited. Five minutes. Ten. Curiosity, or perhaps a darker instinct, got the better of me. | ---- followed the faint trail he'd taken. | found him near an old, gnarled oak tree. His back was to me. He was on the phone. "yeah, baby, I'm looking at it right now. Our initials, still here." My blood ran cold. | knew that tree. Years ago, on that first hike, he'd carved "E+C" into it. Chloe Davis. Not Ava Miller. "Of course, | remember," he was saying, his voice soft, intimate, the voice he used only for her. "This place is special to us. Always will be... No, Ava's just... waiting. She thinks we're watching the sunset... Yeah, | told her | wished for us. She doesn't suspect a thing... This whole trip, seeing our tree, it was for you, Chloe. To show you | haven't forgotten... | love you too. See you soon." He hung up. He turned, a self-satisfied smile on his face, and saw me. The smile vanished. His eyes widened in shock, then narrowed in annoyance. The entire romantic outing, the hike, the picnic, the sunset - it wasn't for me. It was a performance for Chloe. He was checking on their carved initials, reassuring her of his undying love, using me as a prop, a cover story. The pain was so profound, so absolute, it was almost cleansing. There was nothing left to salvage, nothing left to misunderstand. | didn't say a word. | just turned and walked away, back down the mountain trail, leaving him standing there by his precious tree. My phone buzzed in my pocket. A text from him. ---- Ethan: Ava, wait! It's not what you think! | didn't stop. Another text. Ethan: That was just... for Chloe. To keep her calm. You know how it is. | kept walking. When | reached the car, | sent him one, brief message: "Have a good walk back, Ethan. I'm taking a cab." Then | blocked his number. | didn't know how I'd get a cab from the middle of nowhere, but I'd figure it out. Anything to get away from him. It took hours, a combination of walking and eventually finding a remote ranger station where a kind park ranger called a very expensive taxi for me. By the time | got back to Liam's brownstone, it was past midnight. | was exhausted, emotionally drained, but also strangely calm. It was over. Whatever lingering hope I'd harbored, whatever foolish belief that Ethan might still, deep down, love me - it was gone. Obliterated. He'd shown me, unequivocally, who he was. And | believed him. The next few days, Ethan was... different. He started being more open with Chloe, even when | was around. Holding her hand constantly, kissing her goodbye in the mornings, even if | was in the same room. He'd stopped the pretense, or perhaps he thought | was no longer a factor to consider.