Chapter 40

Ethan

AS MUCH AS I DIDN’T WANT to involve Tom in this, I had to. I didn’t even know where to begin on my own, and part of me didn’t even know why it mattered. She was having an affair. She was gone now, so it wasn’t like I could even confront her about it, and it wasn’t like I even cared at this point. But in a weird way, something deep inside of me needed to know for sure, to alleviate some of my guilt for doing the same to her.

“Yeah, Ethan,” Tom answered, sounding out of sorts.

“Hey, Tom. I hate to bother you, but I could really use your help with something.”

“Sure, what’s up?”

“Well, umm...it’s a long story. If you have a minute later, I’d really like to sit down and talk to you about it. It’s just a lot to get into over the phone.”

“Oh yeah, sure. I can stop over at your place if you want.”

“Okay, that sounds like a plan. I won’t be home until a few more hours, so I’ll text you when I get there.”

“You got it.” He paused for a moment. “Ethan, you’re not in any kind of trouble, are you?”

“No, not at all. Just trying to tie up some loose ends with the past, so I can move on with my future.”

“Well, I’ll be happy to help with that then.”

We hung up the phone and I was content with my plan to get some information from him. I needed to bury some of the responsibility I was carrying around to move on. I owed it to myself and to Jenna, since she was the one I most wanted to move forward with. I was feeling a little guilty for being so close and not dropping in to see her, but if I did, that would raise a whole set of questions. Questions I wasn’t ready to answer just yet. I’d involved her in enough of my troubles from my past. I didn’t want to burden her with any more. I was shocked she’s stuck around for this long. I pulled out of the marina and headed home. I tried calling Jenna along the way, but she didn’t answer. It was just as well. I didn’t want to lie to her about where I was or what I’d been doing. I was almost home when my publisher’s number flashed across my radio display. As much as I didn’t want to answer, I did anyway. Moving forward and tackling old ghosts also meant facing the present.

“Hello,” I answered.

“Hey, Ethan. It’s Cindy. How are you doing?” Cindy had been my editor since I started and she was the one and only person I had any respect for at that publishing company. She was like the grandmother everyone adored.

“I’m doing well, Cindy. How about you?”

“Just the usual craziness with all the end-of-the-year stuff. Hence why I’m here on a Saturday.”

“Well, I’m not sure if Edward broke it to you or not, but I have no plans of changing the story.”

“Oh...I’m not sure of what you mean.”

“Edward said he was able to push back my deadline, but only if I changed the story I was writing. He said he spoke with you and you agreed the story I was working on didn’t go with the demand of the current market.”

“That’s odd. The only time I’ve even had any contact with Edward in the past few months was through email, and I told him I needed to push back your editing because I had a scheduling conflict. We never discussed anything about the particulars of the story you were working on. And even if we had, you are my one and only author who I would never dictate a type of story to. You can write a book on how to boil an egg and somehow make it interesting to readers. That leads me to the reason for my call today. I wasn’t sure if you heard or not, but my last day here will be January fifteenth. So your next book will be in the hands of someone new.”

“You’re kidding me. Right?”

“I wish I were. Supposedly, it’s due to cutbacks, but I know the real reason. They want me to pump out more editing than I’m willing to do. I got into it with Kurt Williams and that’s when my days were numbered. I know it’s all about the company making money, but I don’t believe in quantity over quality, and I won’t tarnish my reputation because of it.”

“I don’t blame you at all.” The thought of getting used to a brand-new editor was less than thrilling for me. I had a great rapport with Cindy, and it was going to take a lot to get used to someone else. She continued to go on about the person who was taking her place, a subject that should have been of great interest to me, but instead I tuned her out, trying to wrap my head around Edward and his blatant lie. Why was he so against me writing a story that he had been on my case to finish just a few years ago, and more importantly, why did he lie about the reason the deadline date was pushed back?

“I just wanted to tell you that you have been a true pleasure to work with, Ethan, and I can honestly say I’m going to truly miss you and the pure genius you bring to this craft.”

“Thank you, Cindy. If I can do anything to help you out with another job, please don’t hesitate to let me know.”

“I really do appreciate that, but I think I’m going to hang it up, spend time with my grandkids, and maybe travel a little. This industry is changing way too fast for this old broad.”

“That sounds like a pretty good plan. I actually have a meeting set up during the first week of January that I have to be in the city for. I’d love to take you to lunch.”

“I’d be honored.”

“I’ll see you then.”

We hung up the phone, and my head was spinning even faster than it was before. I had so many questions for Edward, but I needed to cool down before I called him to ask any of them. I texted Tom and let him know I’d be home in a bit, made a quick stop at the food store to grab something for dinner, and was happy to finally be pulling in my driveway after a very long day. That happiness doubled when I saw Jenna standing outside of her car waiting for me.

I threw my car in park and got out. “Jenna!” I couldn’t contain my smile as I walked over to her and hugged her tightly. “What are you doing here?” I asked, sensing something was wrong the moment I gazed into her tear-filled eyes. “Hey, what’s the matter?” I whispered.

“Ethan, I need to talk to you.”

“Let’s go inside. It’s freezing out here.”

She nodded and wiped away the tears, following me inside.

“So, what’s up?” I asked as we took a seat on the couch.

“Ethan, I have to tell you something.”

“Okay....what?”

“Your story that you’re writing. When you first gave it to me, something about it seemed so familiar, like I’d read something like it before. I didn’t want to say anything to you until I knew for sure, so I asked my friend, Amelia, who works at the publishing house I used to work for. She told me about this story….” She pulled her iPad from her purse and my eyes instantly focused on the portions she’d highlighted. All of them, my words.

I creased my eyebrows in confusion. “What’s this?”

“It’s a New York Times bestseller by an author named Carl Hampton. He stole your story. I’m not going to lie. At first I thought you were copying from him to get back at you publisher.”

“Why would you think that?”

“I-I don’t know, Ethan. I just knew you were pissed over the deadline they placed on you and I thought maybe...I don’t know. But I know now I was wrong, and I’m so sorry for doubting you.”

“And how do you know that?”

There was a long pause before she focused her attention back on me with a terrified gaze. “Ethan, I need to tell you something and you have to promise me you’re not going to flip out and do something crazy.”

“I can’t promise that unless I know what it is, Jenna.”

“Oh, God. I probably shouldn’t even be saying anything just yet, but I can’t keep this from you.”

“Keep what from me, Jenna?” I snapped.

“I went to his book signing today.”

“This guy? This asshole who plagiarized my work?”

She nodded and blinked away the tears. “I-I wanted to see what his deal was. How he got the inspiration for the story.”

“Because you thought I stole it from him?” I accused.

“No, Ethan. I-I honestly don’t know why I went. I was just hoping to get some answers.”

“Did it ever occur to you to have asked me for the answers, Jenna? Oh, that’s right, it didn’t because you thought of me as a thief and a liar.”

“No, Ethan, that’s not true,” she cried. “I knew there was more to the story. My gut was telling me so. You have to believe me.” She reached over to hug me, and I pushed her away.

“So, tell me, Jenna, what did you find out? The same thing you would have found out if you’d just come to me first?”

She shook her head and sobbed. “No, Ethan, I found out so much more.” Her bottom lip quivered. “I had coffee with him at his hotel afterward.”

My eyes widened. “You what? What the fuck, Jenna? What are you going to tell me next, that you fucked him too?”

“Ethan, that’s so not fair. How could you even think that of me?”

I got up and walked over to the window, staring outside with my back to her. “I don’t know. How could you think what you thought of me?” I turned around to face her. “Maybe we don’t know each other so well after all.”

She stood up and took my hands in hers. “I need you to just hear me out, okay? Please?” She pulled me back down to the couch and continued. “I pretended I was doing an article for a newspaper and asked him some questions and basically came up with nothing. We were just wrapping up when a woman walked in with a little boy. He introduced them to me as his wife and child.”

“And...” I wasn’t following where she was going.

She swallowed hard. “Ethan, the woman looked a lot like me, but with beautiful blue eyes. The little boy...” She stifled a sob. “He was carrying around that same teddy bear you showed me, and when I bent down to say hello to him, he had a cleft in his chin, a dimple in his right cheek, and grayish-blue eyes...just like his daddy.”

I backed away. This was some sick joke, and I couldn’t believe Jenna would be so cruel to go along with it.

“My son is dead.”

She shook her head. “No, Ethan. He’s not. I saw those pictures you showed me of him and this little boy was him.”

I shook my head, not wanting to hear it.

“Ethan, I know this is a shock to you, but I swear, I wouldn’t even be saying anything about it to you unless I was one hundred percent sure.” She touched my hand and I pulled it away. “Ethan, think about it. This guy is a nobody and out of nowhere he writes this bestselling novel that are your words, from a manuscript that was supposedly destroyed, and he has the same agent as you.”

“How do you know that?” I demanded.

“He kept going on about how he was so thankful to his agent, so I asked who he was.”

I wanted to believe it was true and that Nolan was still alive, but it didn’t seem real to me.

“Ethan, I’m so sorry for not telling you sooner about the book, but don’t you see, if I had you may have never found out he was still alive.”

“This boy…you saw him?”

“I did, and he was perfectly fine.” She smiled.

I grabbed my phone and typed Marcus Withers into the search bar, pulling up the article I’d been reading earlier in the day. I tapped on the picture and showed it to Jenna. “Was this the man?”

Her widened eyes told me all I needed to know. “Ethan, how did you know?”

“I didn’t. I found this letter a while ago.” I pulled the letter from my pocket and placed it in Jenna’s lap.

She read it over and I explained to her about how I’d put together the name of the boat with the salutation in the letter.

“Do you think he’s really alive?” For the first time since she’d dropped this bomb on me, it was finally sinking in. My little boy could possibly be alive.

“I do, Ethan. I really do.”

I couldn’t hold back my emotion. Getting a second chance with him was like a dream. A dream I was sure I’d wake from soon. I threw my arms around her, thanking her over and over.

“Jenna…what are you doing here?” Tom asked as he walked into the living room.

Jenna lifted her head from my shoulder. “I’m sorry, Tom. I-I had to tell him.” She met my gaze riddled with guilt once again.

“You know?” I asked Tom.

“I’m sorry, Ethan. I didn’t know what to do, so I thought since Tom is a cop, he would know.”

I took her hand and squeezed it gently, reassuring that I wasn’t angry with her. If it all turned out to be true, I owed her everything.

“Ethan, listen to me. You can’t go flying off the handle. Jenna and I are going to Boston tomorrow, and we’re going to figure this out. We have to make sure we do this right.”

“Boston?” I creased my eyebrows in confusion.

“He has a signing there tomorrow, and they’re going with him,” I clarified.

“So, Jenna is going to meet up with him at the signing and pretend she’s interested in more than just his books,” Tom explained.

I shook my head. There was no way in hell I was going to allow that to happen. I wouldn’t put Jenna in that situation. “Ain’t happening. Jenna isn’t going to pretend she wants to sleep with this scumbag.”

“Ethan, she’ll be fine.”

“I will, Ethan. I promise.”

“No, Tom. This guy is obviously on a power kick to go through the elaborate scheme he pulled off. If he even suspects Jenna is on to him, there’s no telling what he’ll do. Can’t you just go fuckin’ arrest him for kidnapping?”

“It’s not that easy, Ethan. What if the little boy isn’t really Nolan? We have to be one hundred percent sure.”

I didn’t want to think of that outcome now that I’d gotten my hopes up.

“Oh!” Jenna shouted. “Ethan has his real name.”

“I have his old address, but he supposedly lives in Washington State now,” I added.

“He introduced me to his so-called wife as Caroline. Is there a way you can get a copy of her driver’s license and see if the picture on it matches Darrah?” Jenna asked.

Tom raised an eyebrow at me and we both smiled in unison. “Are you sure this girl isn’t a detective? Let me see what I can do,” Tom replied.

I gave him the information I’d gotten from the lady at the marina, and he went into the kitchen to make a phone call.

“Jenna, I really don’t want you doing this tomorrow. If anything were to happen to you, I don’t know what I’d do.”

“Nothing’s gonna happen, Ethan, other than you getting Nolan back.”

I didn’t know what to say to her. Thank you didn’t seem to be enough. She’d done more for me in the time I’d known her than most people had in a lifetime. She was too good to be true, and it was hard for me to comprehend that someone as caring and selfless as her even existed. I moved closer and when my lips grazed hers, she placed her hands on the sides of my face and smiled. “You’re going to be happy again, Ethan. All the pain you’ve been carrying around is going to be gone soon.”

“You already make me happy, Jenna. So happy.”

Her dark eyes swam with emotion as she smiled and looked away. I placed my hand under her chin and forced her to look at me.

“I know I don’t say how I’m feeling often, and I’m sorry for that. But I need you to know there’s not a day that goes by that I’m not thankful for you coming into my life.”

She nodded as the tears rolled down her face.

“And no matter what happens. Even if this little boy really isn’t him, I-I’m so grateful for everything you’ve done for me, and for putting up with me instead of running away.”

She pulled in her bottom lip and wiped her tear-stained cheek with the back of her hand. “It is him. I promise you.”

“I hope it is. I really do. But if it’s not, then I’m okay with it because I know I can be happy again…with you. And maybe it’s too soon to be saying this, but I’ve never felt the way I’m feeling for you about anyone...I love you, Jenna.”

Her eyes widened just as our lips touched and our tongues meshed together. I pushed her down on the couch and my hands moved up her shirt, forgetting all about Tom, who was in the next room until he reminded us by clearing his throat.

“Umm…sorry to interrupt.”

I silently cursed him out, wanting so badly to finish what we’d started, but Jenna wasn’t having any part of it. She sprang up, adjusting her shirt and running her hand through her hair.

Tom glanced my way and flashed me an apologetic smirk. “I have my guys working on getting the license. If we can match that up, then we really have a lot more to work with. Ethan, do you have a picture of Darrah that you can show Jenna to see if the woman she saw was her?”

“I-umm…” I cleared my throat. I’d gotten rid of any trace of Darrah’s face in a fit of rage a while ago, so as far as I knew there weren’t any photographs of her lying around. “I don’t.”

Tom and Jenna both narrowed their eyes in confusion, but they’d never truly understand how deep my animosity went over what she’d taken from me. And just when I thought I couldn’t hate her any more, when faced with the prospect of this truth, that hate morphed into something so much bigger than I could even fathom.

“Ethan!” my sister exclaimed, entering the living room holding two pizza boxes. “Tom called and told me everyone was here.” She handed off the pizza to Tom, then walked over to me and gave me a kiss. “You did the right thing, sweetie. He needed to know,” she reassured Jenna as she leaned over me and kissed her as well. “I brought some pizzas since Tom said he was dying of hunger!” She rolled her eyes. “Come on, you guys must be starving,” my sister shouted down the hallway as she and Tom were halfway in the kitchen.

Jenna stood up to follow them, and I grabbed her hand, pulling her back. I rested my lips on her forehead and closed my eyes, and all the stress and anxiousness of the day melted away. “I meant what I said before, Jenna. I’ll be happy even if it’s just you and me.”

She smiled up at me and brushed her hand along the side of my face. “I know, but I promise, Ethan. It’s not going to be just you and me.” She pressed her lips against mine. “I’m starving. Let’s eat.”

She took my hand, and I wanted to pull her back again. I wanted to know if she had any reaction to the fact I told her I loved her, but I could sense her distancing herself. I’d bared my heart and soul to her, hoping it would bring us closer, but something inside me told me it was pushing us farther apart.