Chapter 12

Ethan

I HAD TO ADMIT, EVEN I WAS impressed with the way the floors in Jenna’s parlor had come out. I’d been correct in my assumption that all they needed was a sanding. The natural finish looked perfect for this room. I hoped Jenna would feel the same way when she saw this surprise she had waiting for her. It took me all day to do, but it was the best therapy I had in a long time. Oddly enough I was able to clear my head over the sound of the sander and focus on something else other than the endless dread racing through my mind.

I stood back, admiring my work, when the sound of the front door slamming broke my attention. “Jenna, I thought you weren’t coming back until tomorrow.” I sensed she was upset over something and if that weren’t enough her puffy bloodshot eyes were a dead giveaway. She shook her head and I didn’t pry anymore, changing the subject to the floors instead. “What do you think? I figured I’d give it a try and see if you like it and if you didn’t they could just cover it with the new flooring you wanted.”

She was silent for a moment, but it seemed like eternity, gazing at the floor like she was in some kind of trance. “I-I love it.” She looked up at me and tears gushed from her eyes. A weird reaction for someone who supposedly loved it, but I knew her tears had nothing to do with the floor. “I can’t believe you did this, Ethan, it looks absolutely beautiful. How in the world did you manage this?”

“I just happened to be in this pretty cool hardware store not too far from here, and I saw they rented sanders and it got me thinking maybe I should give it a try in here. They even delivered it...the rest was easy.” I bent down, wanting her to get a closer look. “Come here,” I requested with a wave of my hand. “See how the nail holes from the old flooring add to the character?”

She moved her hand to feel the floor, and the sleeve of her shirt rode up, revealing a huge black-and-blue mark around her wrist.

“What happened?” I asked. Without even thinking, I took her hand in mine and examined her wrist.

“It’s...nothing.” Her face reddened. She removed her hand from mine and stood up.

I stood up next to her and grabbed her other arm to find matching bruises on that wrist as well. “Jenna, what the hell happened to you?”

She bit her bottom lip and couldn’t hold back her emotion any longer. “I-I told him it was over.”

“What the fuck?” It wasn’t my business. I didn’t know him, and in reality, I barely knew her, but I was pissed as hell. Normally I stayed out of other people’s problems. Even the old me never meddled. Maybe it was because I was too self-absorbed with myself. But she didn’t deserve this. If anything, the dude should have been thankful that she ended it before they made the mistake of getting married. “Jenna, he had no right to do this to you.”

“I know,” she whispered, wiping away the teardrop that was rolling down her face. “I’m so sorry for turning into this crying mess. It’s just when I saw the floor and how beautiful it was, it made me think about—” She stopped herself.

“About what?”

“Just how lucky I am to have crossed paths with you.” She feigned a smile. “I’m totally in love with these floors. I cannot thank you enough. I want to pay you.”

“Get out of here. It was actually very therapeutic…as you say. I enjoyed doing it. It’s been a while since I’ve done any work like that, and I realized how much I missed it.”

“Well, if you won’t allow me to give you any money for the floor, can I pay you with a beer at the Irish pub up the street?”

“Now, that sounds like a plan.” I grabbed my jacket and followed her out.

***

After a few beers Jenna was beginning to open up about what had transpired when she went home. “It was just…I stood there in that wedding gown and felt physically ill.” She chugged down some more beer and continued. “Then when I saw him kiss her, I was actually relieved. That’s not normal, right? Clearly, I’m a nutcase for being almost happy over the fact that my fiancé was kissing another woman.” She sighed heavily. “Now tomorrow, I have to break the news to my mother. Good times!” She raised her eyebrow and flashed a defeated smile.

“I’m not a relationship expert by any means, but if you weren’t feeling it before you were married, chances are you definitely wouldn’t after.”

She rested her elbow on the bar and leaned her head on her hand.

“What?” I asked as she eyed me up.

“You’re a pretty smart guy.”

“I wouldn’t say that. I just have a little more experience with…things.”

“Well, I think you are, and I don’t think it has anything to do with this experience you say you have. So learn how to take a compliment. Okay?”

“Whatever you say.”

“Do you have a girlfriend?”

I shook my head and took a gulp of beer.

“Who’s Darrah?”

My eyes widened, and I clammed up, crawling back into the safety of the shell I should have never come out of. It was foolish of me to think I could communicate with the outside world when just the mere mention of her name set my mind spiraling out of control.

“I’m so sorry, it’s not my business. I shouldn’t have asked. It’s just that day on the beach you thought I—”

“Can we just go? I’m really tired.”

“Oh yeah, sure.”

I threw some money on the bar and walked out ahead of her.

“I told you I was buying,” she said, running to catch up with me.

“It’s fine.” Why the fuck did I even become friendly with her? Of course she was going to want to know about my life after broadcasting every aspect of hers to me.

We reached the inn and I started up the stairs. She caught up to me on the front porch and reached for my hands, taking them in hers.

“I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry for prying and asking a question you clearly don’t feel comfortable answering. I just assume that everybody is like me and needs to spill their guts to feel better, and I’m sorry for lumping you into that category. Because the truth is, from the first time I met you, I knew you weren’t like everyone else, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. It’s like…” She looked away and shook her head. “God, I can’t even explain it! But you’re so different in the best way imaginable, and if you don’t want to tell me anything about your past, I’m totally okay with it. But please don’t shut me out of your present, because…well, I kinda like being friends with you…a lot. So I’m gonna finally stop rambling and leave you with this.” She stood on her tippy-toes and stretched her neck up to me, planting a warm, soft kiss on my cheek. “Good night, Ethan Banks,” she whispered, her eyes catching mine one last time before heading inside.

I was frozen by her words. I’d never met anyone who wore their heart on their sleeve in the way she did. I stood in place and stared up at the moon, trying my best to gather my thoughts. I closed my eyes and Jenna’s beautiful face flooded my mind.

“Good night, Jenna Delaney,” I whispered, hoping that somehow she knew I was feeling the same way about her, even if I’d never be able to say it.