Chapter 5 A Glimpse of What Was

The morning sun streamed through the window as Ava sat at the breakfast table, mindlessly stirring her coffee. Her conversation with Ethan last night had left a heavy weight on her chest, one that no amount of caffeine could lift.

She knew an apology wouldn't be enough.

But she didn't know how to fix something that had been broken for seven years.

The inn's dining room was quiet, only a few guests scattered around enjoying their breakfast. Ava barely noticed them-her thoughts were too tangled up in the past.

"Mind if I join you?"

The deep, familiar voice sent a shiver down her spine.

She looked up. Ethan.

Dressed casually in a fitted t-shirt and jeans, he stood beside her table, holding a plate of pancakes. Ava hesitated, but then nodded.

He sat across from her, cutting into his food without a word.

The silence between them was thick-not angry, but charged. Like neither of them knew what to say after last night.

Ava cleared her throat. "How's Emma?"

Ethan glanced up, surprised by the question. "Happy. Tired. Probably still in bed."

A small smile tugged at her lips. "She always did hate waking up early."

Ethan smirked. "Some things never change."

Ava took a sip of her coffee, debating her next words. She didn't want to ruin the fragile peace between them, but she also couldn't pretend nothing had happened.

"I meant what I said last night," she said softly. "I'm sorry, Ethan."

He studied her for a long moment. Then, to her surprise, he sighed. "I know."

Her heart skipped. "You do?"

Ethan nodded. "Yeah. I get it now. You wanted more, and you were scared you'd never get it if you stayed." His jaw tightened slightly. "I just wish you would've let me in instead of shutting me out."

Ava swallowed hard. "I wish I had too."

For the first time since she'd come back, she felt like maybe-just maybe-there was a chance to fix what she had broken.

But before she could say anything else, another voice interrupted.

"Ethan! There you are."

Ava turned toward the newcomer.

A woman.

Tall, blonde, effortlessly beautiful in a casual summer dress. She placed a hand on Ethan's shoulder like it belonged there, her smile warm.

"Hey," Ethan said, looking up at her. "Didn't think you'd be up this early."

The woman laughed. "Couldn't sleep. Thought I'd grab breakfast before heading out."

Ava felt a sharp pang in her chest but forced a neutral expression.

Ethan gestured between them. "Ava, this is Rachel. Rachel, this is Ava."

Rachel's eyes flickered with recognition. She knew who Ava was.

"The Ava?" Rachel asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ethan didn't respond.

Rachel smiled-polite, but a little too knowing. "It's nice to finally meet you."

Ava forced a small smile back. "You too."

She didn't know what hurt more-the fact that Rachel existed, or the fact that Ethan hadn't told her anything about her.

And just like that, whatever moment she and Ethan had shared last night-was gone.

Ava could feel the shift in the air as Rachel took the seat beside Ethan, her hand still resting possessively on his shoulder. It wasn't lost on her how naturally Rachel slid into that space, as if she had always belonged there. Ava felt like an outsider, a relic of a past life, trying to fit into a world that had long since moved on without her.

Rachel smiled brightly at Ava, but there was something calculating in her gaze. Ava couldn't help but wonder how much Rachel knew about her-how much Ethan had shared about the girl who had disappeared all those years ago. She could feel the weight of Rachel's curiosity, the kind of knowing glance that made her feel like an interloper in her own story.

"I didn't realize you two knew each other," Rachel said, her tone light and conversational, but there was an edge to it, as if she was probing, testing.

Ava's smile was tight. "We grew up together."

Rachel nodded slowly, her eyes flicking between Ava and Ethan. "That's... interesting." She paused, then added in a tone that was a little too casual, "I didn't know Ethan had any old friends around here."

Ava's stomach twisted. "I don't know about 'old friends,'" she said quietly. "I guess some things just stay with you."

The comment hung in the air, and Rachel's smile faltered for a split second before she recovered, her expression smooth and practiced. "Well, I'm sure it's nice to reconnect with familiar faces." She turned to Ethan then, her voice softening, "Right?"

Ethan shifted uncomfortably in his seat, clearly not expecting the conversation to take this turn. He looked at Ava, as if weighing his next words carefully. "Yeah," he said slowly. "It's... it's good to see Ava again."

Ava could hear the distance in his voice, the unspoken message between them that things were different now. Seven years had done that, hadn't it? They couldn't just pick up where they left off. Too much had changed. And there was no erasing the fact that she had walked away, leaving everything-him-behind.

Rachel didn't seem to notice the subtle shift in the conversation. She picked up her coffee cup and took a sip, her eyes not leaving Ava as she did so. The tension between the three of them was thick enough to cut with a knife, and Ava could feel her pulse quicken. She didn't want to be here anymore, didn't want to be a third wheel in this delicate dance.

But as she stood up, ready to make an excuse and leave, Ethan's voice stopped her.

"Wait."

Ava froze, her hand still on the edge of the table. She turned back to him, her heart racing in her chest.

Ethan was looking at her now, his expression softer than it had been earlier. "You didn't deserve what happened," he said quietly. "The way I treated you when you left... I was angry. But I get it now."

Ava's breath caught in her throat. The apology was more than she had expected, more than she had hoped for.

But as much as she wanted to believe it, as much as she wanted to hear him say the words that would heal the wounds she had carried all this time, she knew it wasn't enough. The past couldn't be undone. And no matter how many apologies they exchanged, things couldn't go back to the way they were.

"Thanks, Ethan," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "But I think I need some time."

His eyes flickered with understanding, and for a moment, she saw the boy she had once known-the boy she had loved-peeking through the walls he had built around himself.

But before either of them could say more, Rachel's voice broke the fragile moment.

"So, Ava," she said, her tone deceptively sweet, "are you staying in town long?"

Ava hesitated, then forced a smile. "Just a few days."

"Well, it's nice to meet you," Rachel said again, this time with a little too much enthusiasm. "I'm sure we'll see more of each other while you're here."

Ava nodded, though the last thing she wanted was to be a part of whatever this was between Ethan and Rachel. She couldn't deny the sting of jealousy that burned in her chest, the sharp ache that reminded her of what she had lost.

As she walked away, she didn't look back. She didn't need to. She knew what she had left behind. And now, seeing Ethan with someone else-seeing him move on without her-was the final blow.

It was time to let go.

And maybe, just maybe, that was the hardest thing of all.