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Chapter 54 – Enough
Ethan's POV
I told myself I wouldn't go.
I wasn't supposed to know where she'd be that night. I wasn't supposed to check the calendar that her team shared. Wasn't supposed to overhear her confirming her dinner reservations on the phone. Wasn't supposed to care.
But I did.
Because Amara was going on another date with him.
Malik.
The name tasted bitter on my tongue.
I'd seen enough of him to know he wasn't just some fling. He was the "take-you-home-to-mom" type. Safe. Predictable. The kind of guy who probably opened car doors and talked about long-term goals. The kind who played it slow and gentle and actually meant it.
Everything I wasn't.
Everything she deserved.
And that drove me mad.
So I went.
I told myself I'd just watch from the car. Just a glimpse. Just to see her smile one last time and prove to myself she was happier without me.
But that's not what happened.
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She walked in five minutes after him, wearing a soft cream dress that hugged her in all the right places. Her curls were pinned back, lips glossed just enough, and her laugh—God, that laugh—it hit me like a fist to the gut.
And he stood up for her.
Held her chair.
Kissed her cheek.
I felt something deep in my chest snap.
I sat there in the car, fists clenched on the steering wheel, heart pounding like a war drum.
And then I got out.
I don't remember making the decision. My body moved before my brain caught up.
I stormed across the street, through the glass doors of the restaurant, and into the candlelit space like I owned it. People turned. Waiters paused. Someone whispered my name.
But I only saw her.
Amara.
Sitting there with him.
Smiling like he'd never broken her. Laughing like I never touched her.
I didn't stop to think.
I didn't ask permission.
I walked straight up to their table, ignoring Malik's confused stare, and grabbed her arm.
"We need to talk."
She blinked, stunned. "Ethan, what—"
"Now."
Malik stood quickly, already bristling. "Hey, man, she's in the middle of dinner—"
I turned my glare on him. "This doesn't concern you."
"The hell it doesn't—"
"Malik, it's fine." Her voice was cold now, controlled. She looked at him, then back at me. "Give me a second."
He hesitated, clearly torn, but sat back down slowly. I didn't wait.
I pulled her toward the exit.
She didn't fight me, but she didn't say a word either.
Not until we were outside.
Not until the door closed behind us and the city noise swallowed the tension.
Then she yanked her arm away.
"What the hell was that, Ethan?!"
"I've had enough."
"Of what? Me dating someone who actually cares about me?"
I stepped closer, my jaw tight. "Of pretending I don't care. Of watching you with him. Of watching you laugh with someone who isn't me."
"You don't get to care," she snapped. "You made that choice five months ago when you walked away."
"I was trying to forget you."
Her eyes narrowed. "You don't get to say things like that."
"I mean it."
"You treated me like a one-night stand," she hissed. "You didn't call. You didn't speak to me for weeks. You acted like I didn't exist—"
"Because I didn't know how to handle you, Amara!" My voice cracked. "Because you weren't supposed to matter!"
She flinched. I stepped back, breath ragged.
"You were supposed to be a mistake," I said quietly. "But you weren't. You were everything. And I panicked."
She stared at me, silent.
"I saw you with him," I went on. "I saw you kiss him. I told myself it was nothing. But it wasn't. It was real. And it killed me."
"You don't get to feel jealous, Ethan," she whispered. "Not when you never even gave me a chance."
"I'm giving you one now."
"No." Her voice was firm, but her eyes… her eyes trembled. "Now you're too late."
I stepped forward again. "Tell me you don't still feel it."
She looked away.
"Amara," I said gently, reaching for her hand. "Please."
Her breath hitched, but she didn't pull away.
"You hurt me," she whispered. "Worse than anyone ever has."
"I know."
"I waited for you. I looked for signs. I prayed you'd remember. But you didn't."
"I did," I said, voice rough. "Every damn day. I remembered you. Your voice. Your touch. Your eyes. I just… I was too much of a coward to admit it."
She closed her eyes. "What do you want from me?"
"You."
There it was.
The truth.
Raw. Bleeding.
"I want you," I said again, quieter. "Not as a game. Not for a night. I want you. For real."
She looked at me now. Really looked.
And for the first time in a long time… I saw something flicker behind her walls.
Hope.