Chapter 53
“Ethan?” His voice brightened as the call connected. “Hey, need a huge favor. Got a patient at Mayo Clinic who could use some company…
A familiar voice came through, “Got it, on my way now.”
Alexander hung up the phone and looked at me. ‘Okay, he’s coming now.”
Something about the name “Ethan‘ tugged at my memory, so I asked, “What’s his name by the way?”
“Ethan Davies.”
I knew I’d heard it before, but the memory kept slipping away like smoke through my fingers.
Half an hour later, when he appeared in my doorway wearing a blue tracksuit, it hit me. The college student from The Underground – the one Astrid and I had spent that evening with, drinking and dancing, trying to forget the mess my life had become.
He lingered in the doorway as Alexander made his exit, then stepped inside with an easy grace, closing the door behind him. A hint of amusement played across his features as recognition dawned in his eyes.
“Well,” he said with a warm smile, ‘What a coincidence, Miss Sinclair.”
His warmth caught me off guard, making me shift awkwardly in the hospital bed. “Glad to see you again,” I managed.
The club had been different – dark lights, loud music, crowds of people making everything feel less… intimate. Now, in the quiet of the hospital room, his friendly presence felt almost too intimate.
Ethan seemed to ignore my discomfort as he strode to my bedside with the easy confidence of youth, sprawling into the chair Alexander had vacated. Spotting the fruit basket on my bedside table, he reached for a banana.
“So,” he said, casually peeling it, “what’s got you looking so pale? Must be pretty serious if you’re at Mayo Clinic.”
Tinstinctively drew back against my pillows, maintaining a careful distance. “Just stomach problems.”
“Stomach problems?” He raised an eyebrow, taking a bite of the banana. “At Mayo Clinic? That’s like going to a five–star restaurant for a grilled cheese. He glanced at the fruit in his hand, then back at me. ‘Oh wait – can you even eat this stuff?”
I shook my head, managing a small smile despite myself.
More for me then!” His grin was infectious as he took another huge bite. There was something disarming about his casual irreverence, his youth and energy bringing an unexpected warmth to the boring room.
Finding myself relaxing slightly, I adjusted my position to face him better. “Still in school?” I asked, genuinely curious now.
‘Yep, The Underground was just a part–time gig for pocket money.” He grinned. “Six more months till freedom,” Ethan grinned, sprawling deeper into the chair. “You should swing by The Underground till then. I make a mean mojito.”
Six months. The number echoed in my head, tasting like ash. “Three months is all I’ve got,” I murmured, the words slipping out before I could catch them.
His easy smile faltered. “Three months? What happens then?”
I opened my mouth to backtrack, but my phone saved me from having to lie. Astrid’s name flashed across the screen, and her voice burst through before I could even say hello.
‘Audrey, where have you been?” Her voice came through anxious. “You weren’t answering my messages, so I went to the court. That’s when I found out you two never showed up. Then I rushed to your apartment, and guess who I found there?”
“God damn Blake Parker!”
Divorce Me Before Death Takes Me, CEO
