around her.
Chapter 18
he realized that he no longer mattered to Cella. The feeling stuck with him all the way back to where he
Mason felt a deep frustration simmer in his chest when h was staying
Even as he lay in bed, his mind kept drifting back in the encounter with Celia that evening. He sensed that there was something different about her, something that wasn’t there when she was with him
He didn’t want to admit it, but Celin had changed. She was better, brighter, and more radiant. She stood out now and was impossible to ignore.]]
He thought about how he’d borrowed a stranger’s phone and made over a dozen calls to her that evening, not one of them going through. That left him even more agitated.
Celia
Her name lingered in his mind all night. Even when he was with Brooklyn, his thoughts kept drifting back to Celia and to the man who had been with her
Brooklyn, too, was thinking about that man. She thought that he didn’t carry himself like an ordinary person. Compared to Mason, he seemed even more refined. She couldn’t understand how someone she used to look down on now hat someone better by her side than she did
Mason and Brooklyn were lost in thoughts of someone else, too distracted to notice how half–hearted and empty their time together was.]
Meanwhile, across town, the air between two people whose feelings were aligned shimmered with saft, rose–colored warmth. Cella was a little shy, but Ethan was having none of it. He gently but firmly pulled her out of her shell, refusing to let her hide inside it.
Later that night, back at her place, Cella suddenly realized that she had never actually told than about the divorce. So how did he know?]
Believing that it was better to talk things out than to overthink alone, Cella picked up her phone and called him directly
“Celia, what’s wrong?” than answered the call, clearly happy to hear from her
“I never told you i got divorced. How did you find out?” Celia bluntly asked, skipping over any polite small talk
Ethan, who thought he’d gotten away with it, felt a flicker of guilt. He then said, “Celia, walt for me. I’m coming over.”
Celia didn’t just sit around while waiting. She quickly tidied up the room. After all, she wanted to make a good impression since they had just gotten together |
It wasn’t long before she heard a knock at the door. She opened it, let Ethan in, then stood quietly, waiting for his explanation.[]
“I’m sorry, Celin. The first day I saw you here alone, I was worried, so 1 asked around. That’s when 1 heard from someone that you were divorced [] “Please don’t be mad, okay?” he added, giving her a pitiful look and trying his best to not cute–a trick he’d just picked up online and hoped would work.
I’m not mad at you. It just suddenly crossed my mind. You know I just got divorced, and you…” She trailed off, looking at his exaggeratedly sad expression.
She had been angry to legl with- and now, as she saw how adorable he looked trying to set pitiful, she found herself even more charmed.
-1 know you just got divorced, and I know that I’m taking advantage of your vulnerability. But I like you too much,” than interrupted quickly, already sensing what she was about to say.
He couldn’t stand hearing Celia Lelde herself. To him, she was the best there was.]
“When it comes to love, I have nothing, and 11 know nothing. I wasn’t the first to arrive at your love world, but you are my only one.]
You’re the most important person in my life. No matter what kind of days you face. I’ll be right there with you. No matter where you go, I want to be by your
“Even if one day you look me in the eye and say that yous duart e
i love ige anymore, or that you don’t want me, that still won’t be enough to make me walk away. 1 Hearing Laban’s confession once again, Cella was deeply moved by the sincerity of his feelings |
was hard for anyone to stay calm when faced with a love that genular So, instead of blaming gently hugged him. [
It was her way of telling him how she felt
for prying into her past, Celia simply stepped forward and
