Chapter 191
Ethan walked in just as she was shoving another pile of clothes into the open suitcase on the bed.
He froze in the doorway for half a second, his eyes moving over the mess of clothes, the uneven zip of the suitcase, the way her shoulders were shaking.
“What are you doing?” His voice was steady, but it held that note of concern he couldn’t hide.
Mia’s head lifted just enough for him to see the tears on her cheeks. Her breaths were quick, uneven, and her hands still trembled over the suitcase zipper.
“We’re leaving,” she said, her voice breaking on the last word.
Ethan stepped inside the room, closing the door quietly behind him. “No, you’re not.”
“We can’t stay here,” she shot back, her voice trembling so hard it was almost hard to understand. “Ethan, if—”
Her words cut off as her throat tightened. The tears she’d been trying to keep at bay flooded her eyes again, blurring her vision.
Ethan crossed the room in a few steps. “Hey… hey, look at me,” he said softly, crouching down in front of her. He took her cold hands into his, his thumbs rubbing gently over her knuckles.
“How about you calm down first, huh?” His tone was careful, like he was afraid if he spoke too loudly she might break even more than she already had.
But Mia couldn’t calm down. She couldn’t even pretend to.
Her chest felt like it was about to explode, her thoughts spinning in a hundred directions at once.
“How is he here, Ethan?” Her voice cracked. “How is he here?”
Her brother didn’t answer immediately. His jaw tightened, but he didn’t meet her eyes.
That made her freeze for a second. She pulled back just enough to see his face fully.
“Did you know?” she asked, her voice low, but the accusation in it was sharp. Her eyes–red, swollen and wet were fixed on him, searching for any sign his brother knew Alex was here.
Ethan shook his head so fast it was almost too fast. “What? No. No. I didn’t know.”
Her lips trembled. The fight to keep her composure was over, and the words that came next were barely a whisper.
“My son…”
- 4.
Ethan’s grip on her hands tightened just a little. “Let him sleep,” he said gently. “Right now, you need to put yourself together.”
She nodded, but it was mechanical, her eyes darting around the room like she was trying to find something to hold onto. She couldn’t think
straight. She couldn’t breathe right. Everything felt too close, too heavy.
“Come on,” Ethan said, standing and tugging at her hand. “Let’s get you some water first.”
She didn’t resist as he led her into the living room. Her steps felt slow, like she was walking through pains.
Ethan guided her to the couch, his movements gentle like she might shatter if he wasn’t careful. “Sit,” he said softly.
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Chapter 191
She sank into the cushions, her fingers entangling together in her lap. Ethan disappeared into the kitchen for a moment.
When he came back, he held a glass of water out to her. She took it, her fingers brushing against his for the briefest moment.
“Thank you,” she whispered, the words barely there.
She didn’t drink it right away. She just held the glass in both hands, staring past it, past the wall in front of her, into some place only she could
see.
Then it hit her again.
She really thought things were about to get better for her and Aiden.
A sob ripped through her chest so sudden it startled even her. She pressed her lips together, but it didn’t stop the sound from breaking free.
She had to do it again. She had to uproot Aiden’s life all over.
He had just started to smile more here. Just started talking about new friends, new places. He was settling.
And now she was going to rip it all away from him.
What was she going to tell him this time? What lie could she come up with to make it seem okay? How could she make him believe it was for the best when she could barely believe it herself?
“Mia,” Ethan called softly, pulling her back from her thoughts.
Her eyes moved to him slowly, heavy with tears. “Why is he here?” she asked again, the question raw now. The tears started falling faster, sliding down her face.
She didn’t wait for an answer. She stood suddenly, the glass of water still in her hands.
“We can’t stay here.”
The words had barely left her mouth before her grip slipped. The glass fell from her hands, hitting the hardwood floor and shattered.
The sound was sharp, loud in the quiet of the night. Water spread across the floor, but Mia didn’t even flinch. She just stood there, breathing hard, her arms hanging limp at her sides.
Ethan stared at her for a second, like he wasn’t sure whether to reach for her or for the broken glass. But his eyes never left her face, and what he saw there made his chest tighten.
She wasn’t just scared.
She was terrified.
Mia tries to move, but feels the ground move under her.
She staggers back.
Ethan rushes to stop her from stepping on the broken glasses on the floor.
“Mia!” Ethan calls out terrified
She feels herself about to drop on the ground but Ethan catches her.
Mia stares at her brother as darkness covers her vision, she had no other option but to give in.
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Chapter 191
She was tired, so tired….
The last thing she hears, is Ethan’s terrified voice shouting her name
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