Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 37636 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 188(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 125(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37636 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 188(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 125(@300wpm)
And one other rule that she had personally insisted on?
That Ethan would never let guilt push him into doing or saying things he didn't mean, just to make her feel better.
Please don't pretend you're suddenly jealous or attracted to me. Please don't pretend that you like me more than Guilia. Please just never lie.
Those had been Anah's exact words, and Ethan had no doubt she would think those things if he were send to his earlier message. If he had told Anah the sight of her talking and laughing with Slade Wyndham made him jealous, she would've thought he was pretending.
But was he?
Fuck this. Ethan decided to hold off replying for now and shoved his phone back into his jean pocket. When he glanced up, he saw the twins watching him with interest, and he raised a brow. "What?"
"Guilia trying to get back with you already?" Aidan asked.
"Something like that," Ethan lied.
Another rule that Anah had personally insisted on was for no one to know about what had changed between them. They'll never believe that I was the one who insisted on staying friends, she had explained, but I'd also hate it terribly if being your friend means people will think you're being unfaithful to Guilia.
And with this rule still in mind, Ethan could only permit himself to nod and flash a brief smile at Anah's direction before following the twins out of the cafe.
Aidan shook his head when he saw the way Anah was still staring at his brother as the door swung shut behind Ethan. "She still likes you, you know."
Ethan shrugged. "Anah knows the real score between us."
"And you're absolutely sure of that?" Thornton asked bluntly.
"Not a single doubt about it." Ethan could tell his brothers didn't believe him, but he was actually telling them the truth. These days, it was Ethan himself - and not Anah - who was struggling to remember the real score, Ethan himself whose own lines were beginning to blur about what he should and shouldn't feel.
ANAH'S HEART SECRETLY couldn't stop singing in the next couple of days. One of the best things about their little set of rules was that Anah still retained the right to see Ethan whenever she wanted, and so for the whole week, saw him she did. She would be shopping for some groceries, and he would happen to be there, too. She would be in a meeting with other students at the diner near her university, and he would be there having his lunch, too.
Anah literally just had to name the time, date, and place, and Ethan would show up without fail. It was bliss really, except for one thing.
"You are so amazingly resilient," Farica told her when Anah came over to the cafe to have brunch.
Anah blinked in confusion. "Resilient?"
"I was talking to Frankie the other day—-"
"Gossiping, I think you mean to say," Slade drawled from the other end of the bar, and Anah had to bite the insides of her cheek just to keep herself from smiling.
"Anyway," Farica said loudly even as she shot her business partner a glare. "Frankie told me she saw you in church last Sunday—-"
"Um..."
"And that Ethan was seated next to you," Farica said meaningfully.
"Oh."
"I personally don't think it's right that he hangs out with you all the time," Farica said with a frown, "knowing how you feel about him. If you need me to talk to Ethan..."
Anah was filled with guilt by the time she left the cafe and was walking back to work. She had honestly thought she and Ethan were being discreet, but obviously not.
She took her iPhone out and quickly began typing.
Anah: I have a confession.
Ethan: Everyone thinks I'm the kind of jerk who gets a kick out of leading you on.
Anah: Oh God. I'm so sorry! :( How long have you known?
Ethan: Long enough to worry about going deaf. Aidan's been reading me the riot act every chance he gets.
Anah: I am so, so sorry. I promise I won't be so selfish anymore after this.
Ethan: Then I'll be the one who's sorry.
Anah didn't dare let herself reply to this. It was one thing to indulge her need to see and be with Ethan. But it was another thing entirely to fool herself into thinking that he felt the same about her.
Because he didn't, Anah reminded herself, so stop fantasizing!
Chapter Nine
Redwood Cafe welcomed its newest employee the next week, and the 24-year-old waitress turned out to be an unexpected blessing in Anah's life. For starters, Kady happened to be the first girl the cafe hired who hadn't fallen head over heels the moment she laid her eyes on her future boss. Rather, she was the opposite. Kady appeared most nervous and shy around Slade, and the pair's interactions had become the town's current source of amusement.
Anah felt bad for Kady, really. Although she had heard the others talk about Slade's womanizing past, she had never been really able to imagine such a thing. He had never been anything but nice and brotherly towards her, just like the twins, so when even Ethan had warned her about Slade, Anah had only laughed this off.