Sitting at a small table outside of a cafe, I can't help but feel guilty. I told Alec I was shopping for things, which wasn't a lie. Sighing, I glance down at the bags on the ground and move one with my foot as the guilt washes over me. I should get up and leave and go back to work. It's not like Ethan deserves any of my time. I just want to know what he knows.

Someone walking their dog stops on the sidewalk ahead of me and the jingling of the tags around the collar snaps me out of my thoughts. Glancing down at my phone, I check for messages anxiously looking around.

I don't know what I'm expecting to find. It's not like Alec is jealous or suspicious and will be lurking around a corner. He trusts me. Maybe it's leftover paranoia from Derek? I'm not doing anything wrong.

 Am I? 

Meeting up with a friend for coffee? There isn't anything wrong with that.

Exhaling, I run my hand over my hair and through my ponytail. Why do I feel like I'm betraying Alec then? Ugh. I should have just talked to him about this before leaving the office. Instead, I hurriedly made up some excuse of where I was going like a teenager sneaking off to go to a party.

 Warming myself by sipping on my chai tea, I pull my white knit sweater closer to my body but it doesn't do much to fight off the chill of the crisp Fall air. After ten minutes of sitting and people-watching, I'm about to get up and head back to the office when Ethan strolls to the table.

"Hey, beautiful. Sorry, I'm late. The store is swamped today," he says, kissing my cheek.

My face warms at his gesture. Smiling up at him in response, I'm momentarily stunned. I've forgotten how attractive he is. Dressed casually today in jeans and a white t-shirt stretched across his muscular chest, not leaving too much to the imagination as to what is underneath. I notice the girls sitting at the tables nearby staring at him, but he pays them no mind. 

"I hope you weren't waiting too long," he says picking up a napkin and running it through his fingers.

"It's okay," my earlier anxiety falling away. "It's beautiful out today. Although, it is getting a little colder." I'm suddenly a lot warmer than I was a few minutes ago.

Ethan tilts his head, squinting his eyes at me. "Are we resigned to talking about the weather?"

Laughing, I look up at him. "No," I shake my head. Things are so easy with him. He's always so funny and carefree. Things are simple with him. We've only hung out a few times and I've been in the store a lot since we first met, but our conversations have always come easily, and he's always been able to make me laugh.

"Okay, good," he says giving me his charming smile. One of the cafe employees emerges from the cafe and comes over to the table. She looks to be our age, if not a little younger. Blonde and thin. His type, I'm sure.

"Hey, Ethan." she chirps, swaying back and forth, tucking her blonde hair behind her ear.

I cover my mouth to hide my smirk and catch Ethan's glance, looking away before I roll my eyes.

"Hey. Uh, Carly right?" he says.

Wow, I'm impressed. He remembers her name. I look back at him and he's staring right at me. I flush and look down at my drink.

"Yeah. We met at the gallery." her face flushes.

Ethan grabs another napkin from the table. "Good to see you."

"Can I get you anything?" she asks. 

She's bold, and you can't blame a girl for trying. I'll give her that.

"I'm good thanks. I'm meeting a friend," he says, gesturing toward me.

She doesn't acknowledge me at all, not that I would expect her to. This chic has one goal in mind.

"Okay, well I'll be here until 4 if I can get you anything," she says, and still doesn't move.

I love how she noted the time her shift ends. Desperate much.

Rolling my eyes, I have seen enough. I'll apologize later.

"Carly, was it?" I say, interrupting her little eye fucking session. "Hello," I say, waving my hand before her.

"Yeah," she says, looking my way for the first time since she walked to our table, and I don't miss the eye roll directed at me.

"Move along now, sweetheart," I say smiling, my hand under my chin.

She scoffs and walks back into the cafe.

Tilting my head, trying not to burst out laughing, I turn my gaze to Ethan. "Carly, huh?"

Running a hand down over his face, he laughs. "Thanks, Kels. I owe you one."

"I mean, she's cute. She's got the whole cafe thing going on and..."

"Stop," he says, laughing. "I get it. I'm an ass."

Throwing my hands up in the air. "I didn't say that." Smiling, I take another drink of my chai.

"It was implied," smiling, he shakes his head. "Glad to see you haven't lost your sass."

"Never," I laugh. I wish conversation was this easy with everyone.

Looking down at my chai, I dread what I have to ask him because I have to turn our conversation differently. I don't want to ruin the mood or be a buzz kill, but it's killing me. I feel like I'm the only one who doesn't know.

I can feel Ethan staring at me. I'm afraid to look up. Afraid to see the look in his eyes.

"I got your gift," I say, messing with the ring on my thumb.

"Yeah, and?" he says, his voice quiet.

"Thank you," I say. "I still don't really understand everything. I have a lot of questions, but your gift..." I can't finish saying what I want to say. It was a beautiful gift. It was also intimate.

"You didn't like it?" he asks. Quickly glancing up, I search his eyes. I can hear the hurt in his voice and that isn't my intention.

"No, no. That's not it at all. I loved it," smiling as I picture the books and sapphire. "It's perfect."

His face doesn't change. "What's wrong then? Alec? Did he say something?" he looks concerned. "That wasn't my intention."

Maybe I'm looking at this the wrong way. I need to just ask the damn questions.

Wrapping my fingers around the cup, I gather what courage I have. "Ethan, in the letter, you said, "I told them in the very beginning," I need to know when Alec first came to see you and Megan," I say, looking at him across the table, imploring him to tell me the truth.

All I can do at this point is just hope that he doesn't lie to me.

"Kelsey, we should just let this all go. It isn't worth it to keep this going," he says, running his hands through his hair, and looking away down the street at people walking by.

Damnit! No! I need to know!

"Ethan, this is my relationship. I deserve to know. I feel like everyone I know is lying to me," I can feel the tears stinging at the backs of my eyes.

Exhaling, he faces me again, staring at me for several seconds, he reaches out and grabs my hand covering it with one of his. I don't move it. I'm two seconds from falling apart and the comfort from a friend is welcome.

"It was right after you came into the bookstore the first time," he says, looking down at our hands. "He told us not to say anything. He said you needed friends here. We were to go along with it. I won't make excuses for my sister because God knows she is crazy as fuck, but I never wanted to hurt you, Kelsey. I told them both." He pauses, shaking his head. "I didn't want anything to do with it." As he finished talking, I was grateful for the contact of our hands because I felt my entire world spiraling.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I take in everything Ethan just said. How could Alec do something like that? Did he think that I was so desperate that he needed to bribe friends for me? And there was the larger detail that couldn't be ignored. He lied. Again.

Sitting there completely numb, I feel a tear slide down my cheek.

"I'm sorry, Kelsey. I am. I never would have done it. Alec has some bullshit on my sister or I never would have gone along with it. I would never intentionally hurt you." 

I can't even wrap my mind around everything he's saying. How do I get myself into situations like this? 

I feel a warm hand on my face wiping it away. Opening my eyes, Ethan's ice blue eyes are softly gazing into mine. Sympathy. That's what I see in them. Well, that's new.

Just as I'm about to comment on it, I hear Alec.

"What the fuck is this?" he growls out from behind Ethan.

The next thing I know, Ethan is being pulled out of his chair. My heart stops beating and the air is sucked out of my lungs. I'm completely frozen in place. 

 The two of them are hitting each other. By the time I get up, Alec is on top of Ethan and is hitting him in the face. People are starting to gather around us. I need to snap out of it.

Alec is in an absolute rage. I've never seen him like this before.

"Alec, stop!" I scream. I can hear people around me yelling for them to stop as well. Having no other option other than to pull on him, to break the trance that he's in. "Alec, fucking stop!" Alec looks at me and stumbles back off Ethan.

"Don't fucking, "Alec" Me Kelsey." he spits out angrily. "I come here to meet you for lunch, and this douchebag is fawning all over you," he says, standing there shaking his hand out.

"I think you are misreading the situation," I say, my words barely audible. 

He laughs sadistically.

"Yeah, play innocent. I don't want to hear your excuses," he says and walks away.

I turn back to Ethan who has managed to pick himself up off the ground and has multiple girls fawning over him. Accessing his face, it appears that his nose is most likely broken, and his eye is severely swollen.

Jesus, Alec.

"I'm so, sorry, Ethan," I say shakily. "Let's get you to the hospital."

He shakes his head. "No, I'm good. I just need an ice pack or two."

"Ethan, you probably need stitches." I say, as we walk to the table and I reach down to grab my bags and realize my hands are trembling.

"I'll be fine," he says, and grabs the bags from my hands and sits them on the table. "Don't you have to get back to work?" I know he's distracting me so I calm down.

Damnit. Work.

I growl aloud. I seriously could scream. Coming here was supposed to be easier, not messier.

Men. It always comes down to men.

"At least let me help you back to the store," I say. "And before you argue, I'm not taking no for an answer." I give him my babysitter's voice.

He looks at me and goes to laugh, but winces, most likely from a broken rib.

"Jesus, Ethan," I say, putting my arm underneath his. "You two are lucky the cops didn't get called.

"Just another day in the city," Ethan murmurs.

"Good grief," I say. "Your sister is going to fucking kill me for this."

"Maybe she won't be there," he adds.

One can hope.