Running out of the conference room, I saw Ethan approaching with Rachael behind him and I quickly ran to his embrace, Hugging him tightly with a teary eyes. Ethan pulled me out of his embrace and strode down to the conference room. He had seen Harrison from the camera installed in his office. I could see anger in Ethan's eyes as he opened the room to meet Harrison. I followed Ethan, trying to stop any further altercation between him and Harrison. But he was Ethan Blackwood, one with a reputation for being ruthless.
Ethan's eyes darkened as he locked eyes with Harrison. I could see his lips compress into a thin line as he clenched his jaw. I could see fear in Harrison's eyes as he met Ethan's intense gaze. His Adam's apple bobbing. He swallowed hard and took a step backward, darting his eyes around as if searching for an escape. Ethan looked at Harrison for a while without saying a word
"Stay away from her!" Ethan said and immediately grabbed my hands while walking away from the conference room.
"Ethan wait!" I struggled to keep up with his stride
He saw my difficulty and immediately lifted me up like a child to his office.
On our way home, Ethan and I decided to stop for dinner at a fancy restaurant. We held hands together as we walked into the restaurant. The large glass window of the restaurant offered a glimpse of elegant exterior.
"This place is gorgeous"
Ethan smiled and looked at me "I thought you'd like it. It's one of my favorites, and I figured we could use a little celebration after such a long day"
"Celebration" I teased, raising an eyebrow
"what are we celebrating? My successful confrontation with Harrison?"
"yes and no" Ethan teased with a smile playing on his lips
"my love… I want to celebrate you. For being you"
I felt warmth spread through me at his words "thank you" I said, struggling to hold back the tears in my eyes
"Have you been here before?"
"yeah, a couple of times for business meeting but this will be the first time am here for pleasure. I thought it would be nice to enjoy a meal together"
"I love it, thanks Ethan" I said As we browsed the menu, our conversation flowed easily
"So tell me Mr. Blackwood, how many girls have you dated" I said with a mischievous smile, leaning forward slightly
"is this a trap?" he replied with a playful tone
"Come on, am just curious. You're a successful and charming guy. There must be few contenders in your past".
"Just two Mrs. Blackwood" he blurted out
At this point I realized the thought of "my Ethan" with another woman made me feel a certain way. I asked for a truth I'm not ready to accept. The thought sent a shiver down my spine, igniting a fierce and unwavering possessive feeling I hadn't anticipated. I felt a pang of jealousy at the mere thought of him being with someone else
"Damn it! Avery. What's wrong with you?" I thought to myself
"They were just flings" Ethan said, jolting me back to reality "they mean nothing to me"
"Okay..." I shrugged. Pretending not to care. Ethan looked at me with a faint smile on his face
"sure?" he said. I changed the topic without a response
"how about your dad?" I asked. I have never heard him talk about his dad and I just couldn't help my curiosity.
"he went missing"
"Missing" I repeated
He leaned back in his chair running a hand through his hair.
"He went for a hike in the mountains, which he loved to do, but never came back. We searched for him for so long, but there was no sign of him. We held unto hope for as long as we could."
I didn't know how to offer words of consolation. I just sat there looking straight into his eyes, searching for the right thing to say. The silence stretched between us with thick and unspoken words. I wanted to reach out to comfort him in some ways but the right word eluded me. All I could do was hold his gaze, hoping that the warmth in my eyes would convey my unspoken words.
"It's okay, love. Just being my wife is enough consolation for me"
I reached out for his hand across the table and held it tightly. I wish I could do more to comfort him. I wish I had the right words to say.