Chapter 3
"Mr. Morton, your girlfriend really flies under the radar. Why haven't we ever met her?" someone teased.
"Oh, I think I've heard about her. She's a really quiet girl, isn't she? If you're so satisfied, why not tie the knot already?" another guest joked.
Ethan was still peeling shrimp for me with careful attention.
He played it cool, leaning in to speak softly to me.
I looked at the pink scarf wrapped around his neck.
I asked, "It's so hot in here. Why don't you take it off?" I said.
He replied, "My hands are dirty. Can you help me out?"
Nelson's hand slipped, and his red wine spilled unexpectedly.
"Because I don't," Nelson replied coolly, his words clipped.
With a shadow in his eyes, he said, "We met on a blind date. My mom's happy about it, but honestly, it's just not my thing."
Honestly, Tess only thought I was a good match because we'd been classmates for six years, grown up together, and I was always quiet and obedient.
I lowered my eyes, feeling a little shy, as Ethan nudged a crayfish toward me.
"Yeah," I mumbled.
"What was that? Not too spicy for you?" Ethan asked, glancing at me.
Our little exchange made everyone's attention flicker over to us for a moment.
Someone joked, "Both of you are wearing pink. Trying to rub it in for us single guys?"
Ethan didn't even look up and said, "If you want one, go find your own. Girls like this are hard to get, so I'm holding on tight."
Nelson gave a faint smile.
He said casually, "Well, I guess I've got it better than Mr. Randall. She really loves me, wouldn't let me go through all that trouble chasing after her."
The atmosphere suddenly got a little weird.
Someone finally spoke up. "Hey, isn't that Amber? The one who's always sticking close to you at work?"
"Oh yeah, I remember her now. She's got bangs and looks all quiet and bookish. Just a regular girl, like Mr. Morton said," another person added.
Someone joked, "She's probably not as pretty as Erica, huh? But hey, since we're all just hanging out, don't worry, Mr. Morton. Your secret's safe with us."
Erica's eyes lit up with excitement as she took off her jacket without a second thought.
She leaned in close, her voice gentle. "I shouldn't have thrown a fit back then..."
Nelson played it cool, unbothered, and just grabbed some food.
Erica lost her balance, nearly tripping, so pissed she was on the verge of tears.
Finally, everyone picked up on Nelson's cold shoulder.
Someone snapped, "Seriously, Chase, not everyone's like you. Mr. Morton isn't the cheating type. Stuff like this is just bad news for everyone."
"He's got a girlfriend, even if he doesn't really like her. If this turns into a scandal, the company's reputation is toast," another person chimed in.
"Yeah, exactly! If Erica's his one true love, he should love her out in the open. Mr. Morton's probably just waiting to break up before making it official with Erica," someone else added.
Nelson didn't deny it.
He glanced at his watch, stood up, and draped his jacket over Erica's shoulders.
"Come on, it's getting late. I'll take you home," he said.
After they left, everyone started chatting about all kinds of stuff.
Mostly, they were saying Nelson was probably still salty about Erica ditching him back then, and now the two of them were acting all lovey-dovey.
No one even mentioned me, the dull, pitiful, totally forgettable girlfriend.
All that talk was putting me to sleep.
Once everyone had left, Ethan stopped smiling, pulled a fluffy hat over my head, and made sure I had a hand warmer.
He looked unusually calm and just asked one question, "He said you were his girlfriend? So who's Erica, then?"
I was honest. "Yeah, we broke up. She's the girl he's been into since high school."
Ethan seemed a bit out of it.
He said, "Okay. I'll go get the car. Wait for me at the door."
I watched his back as he walked away.
He probably felt pretty awkward now that he knew. After all that time... would he be mad at me?
But it was obvious. Hadn't he figured it out yet? Nelson never liked me, not even a little.
If Ethan really wanted to get under Nelson's skin and mess with his business, he should be going after Erica, not me.
It stung a little. Ethan shouldn't chase me, because Nelson wouldn't even give me a second glance.
Nobody cared about me at all.
I let out a sigh. Ethan had been dodging the topic this whole time. He was probably just trying to come up with the perfect way to break up with me.
I didn't want to put him on the spot, so I pulled out my phone and shot him a quick text. [Sorry, let's call it quits.]
Then I turned off my phone without a second thought.
I was just about to head out.
"You're in such a rush to break up with me, just so you can move over to his company?" Nelson said, his voice coming from the shadows.
He was supposed to have left long ago, but there he was, calmly snuffing out his cigarette in the darkness.
I frowned, so slightly it was almost invisible.
"You shouldn't have lied to them about us still being together," I said.
"Why not? Didn't we agree it'd be better for me if everyone thought we were still together?" Nelson replied. He cut me off in his usual offhand manner.
He said, "Just answer me first. Amber, you owe me an explanation for what happened back then."
An explanation?
Three years of quietly sticking by his side, all the sacrifices, all those tears shed in the shadows... what more was there to say?
I clutched my hand warmer, giving a soft smile and a quiet "Mm."
I said, "My boss is really nice. He looks out for us, and even gives double year-end bonuses."
Nelson gave a wry, annoyed laugh. He asked, "So it's just because I made you work a few extra days?"
I met his gaze and shook my head. "It's not just that."