(Ethan's POV)
The jealousy that had gnawed at me the night before had morphed into a cold, hard anger. I couldn't understand it. Claire was back, she was working with me, and yet, she was going on dates with other men. It was a slap in the face, a blatant disregard for the feelings I was trying so hard to suppress.
I'd tried to maintain a professional distance, to focus on work, but it was impossible. Every glance, every shared word, was a reminder of the date, of the man who had taken her out.
I needed answers. I needed to know why she was doing this.
"We need to talk," I said, my voice low, cornering her in her office.
"About what?" she asked, her voice tight, her eyes wary.
"About your date," I said, my voice firm. "About why you're seeing someone else."
"It's none of your business," she retorted, her voice sharp. "I can see whoever I want."
"It is my business," I said, my voice rough. "You're working with me. You're in my life. And I want to know why you're doing this."
"Doing what?" she asked, her eyes flashing. "Living my life?"
"Playing games," I said, my voice low. "Trying to make me jealous."
"I'm not playing games," she said, her voice tight. "And I'm not trying to make you jealous."
"Then why?" I asked, my voice pleading. "Why are you seeing someone else?"
She hesitated, her eyes searching mine. "It's complicated," she said, her voice barely audible.
"Complicated how?" I asked, my voice frustrated. "Are you trying to hurt me? Are you trying to prove something?"
"No," she said, her voice soft. "I'm trying to move on."
"Move on?" I repeated, my voice incredulous. "From what? From us?"
"From the past," she said, her voice trembling. "From the mistakes we made."
"We didn't make any mistakes," I said, my voice firm. "We were kids. We were in love."
"We were naive," she countered, her voice tight. "We didn't know what we were doing."
"I knew," I said, my voice low. "I knew I loved you."
She looked away, her gaze drifting across the office. "And look where that got us," she said, her voice bitter.
"It got us here," I said, my voice pleading. "It got us a second chance."
"A second chance to make the same mistakes?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"No," I said, my voice firm. "A second chance to do things right. A second chance to be together."
She looked at me, her eyes filled with a mixture of longing and fear. "I don't know if I can do that, Ethan," she said, her voice barely audible.
"You have to," I said, my voice low. "I need you to."
"Why?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper. "Why do you need me?"
"Because I love you," I said, my voice rough. "Because I've never stopped loving you."
The words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken emotions and unresolved feelings. I'd said it. I'd finally admitted the truth.
(Claire's POV)
Ethan's anger was palpable, a raw, possessive energy that filled the small office. He wanted answers, he wanted explanations, and he wasn't going to let me off the hook.
"We need to talk," he said, his voice low, cornering me.
"About what?" I asked, my voice tight, my eyes wary.
"About your date," he said, his voice firm. "About why you're seeing someone else."
"It's none of your business," I retorted, my voice sharp. "I can see whoever I want."
"It is my business," he said, his voice rough. "You're working with me. You're in my life. And I want to know why you're doing this."
"Doing what?" I asked, my eyes flashing. "Living my life?"
"Playing games," he said, his voice low. "Trying to make me jealous."
"I'm not playing games," I said, my voice tight. "And I'm not trying to make you jealous."
"Then why?" he asked, his voice pleading. "Why are you seeing someone else?"
I hesitated, my eyes searching his. I didn't want to hurt him, but I couldn't lie.
"It's complicated," I said, my voice barely audible.
"Complicated how?" he asked, his voice frustrated. "Are you trying to hurt me? Are you trying to prove something?"
"No," I said, my voice soft. "I'm trying to move on."
"Move on?" he repeated, his voice incredulous. "From what? From us?"
"From the past," I said, my voice trembling. "From the mistakes we made."
"We didn't make any mistakes," he said, his voice firm. "We were kids. We were in love."
"We were naive," I countered, my voice tight. "We didn't know what we were doing."
"I knew," he said, his voice low. "I knew I loved you."
I looked away, my gaze drifting across the office. "And look where that got us," I said, my voice bitter.
"It got us here," he said, his voice pleading. "It got us a second chance."
"A second chance to make the same mistakes?" I asked, my voice trembling.
"No," he said, his voice firm. "A second chance to do things right. A second chance to be together."
He was pleading with me, his eyes filled with a desperate longing. It was dangerous, tempting, but I couldn't ignore it.
"I don't know if I can do that, Ethan," I said, my voice barely audible.
"You have to," he said, his voice low. "I need you to."
"Why?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. "Why do you need me?"
"Because I love you," he said, his voice rough. "Because I've never stopped loving you."
The words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken emotions and unresolved feelings. He'd said it. He'd finally admitted the truth. And now, I had to face my own.