The Heart's Quite Beginning

Chapter 20: A Twist in the Tale

Just then, an old man shuffled over to our table, someone I recognized from church. Mr. Henry Caldwell, a kind soul with a penchant for gossip. He greeted us with a warm smile, his eyes twinkling with curiosity.

"Well, well, what a lovely sight," Mr. Caldwell boomed, his voice echoing in the quiet library. "You two look so cozy, chatting away with such warmth. It's good to see young love in the air."

I nearly choked. My face turned an instant shade of red, and I scrambled to respond, the words tumbling out in a flustered mess. "Oh, no, Mr. Caldwell, we're just—friends—"

But, of course, he wasn't listening. He was already deep into his thoughts, sharing a nostalgic story about how he'd met his wife. "Young people today always have a way of finding each other in the most unexpected places. I remember when I met my dear wife—it was just like this—unexpected, yet perfect."

I shot Ethan a look, silently begging him to help me out of this situation. His face, however, betrayed none of my panic. He just sat there, that quiet smile playing on his lips, his eyes sparkling with what I could only describe as amusement. I nudged him sharply with my elbow, whispering, "Say something!"

But he shrugged, his smile widening just a bit. "What do you want me to say? He's going to believe what he wants. Sometimes it's easier just to let it be."

I narrowed my eyes at him, but deep down, I couldn't help but feel the same spark of amusement. It was impossible not to, with Ethan sitting there, acting as though this whole situation was the most entertaining thing that had happened all day. His laid-back attitude had a way of pulling me in, making even the most awkward moments feel lighter.

Mr. Caldwell, oblivious to my internal struggle, continued with a cheerful smile. "Ah, lovebirds," he mused, "you remind me so much of those early days. So full of promise and excitement."

I bit my lip to keep from laughing, even though I could feel my face burning with embarrassment. "We're really just friends," I said again, though at this point, I wasn't sure if I was trying to convince Mr. Caldwell or myself.

Ethan met my eyes again, and this time, his smile softened. "He's not going to listen to you, Lia," he said quietly, his voice warm and reassuring. "Besides, sometimes a little misunderstanding can be fun."

I rolled my eyes, though there was no real frustration behind it. The truth was, I enjoying this moment with Ethan, the way he could make even the strangest situations feel less awkward, more... us. There was an ease to our interactions that I hadn't expected, a lightness that made everything else seem a little less complicated.

Just as I was starting to relax, Mr. Caldwell's tone shifted, his eyes softening with sympathy. "It's just nice to see Ethan with someone again," he said kindly. "After what happened, you know."

That stopped me cold. My heart skipped a beat, my mind suddenly buzzing with questions. "What do you mean?"

Mr. Caldwell's face softened further, his voice growing gentle. "Well, it was such a tragedy. Poor Selene... And now to see Ethan moving on—well, it's heartwarming, really. Especially since you've opened your cafe in the very spot where Selene used to run her ice cream shop."

Selene. The name hit me like a wave, pulling me under before I even had time to react. I turned to Ethan, my pulse racing. "Selene? What is he talking about?"

Ethan's face had changed. The easy smile, the calm demeanor—it was all gone, replaced by something hard and guarded. His jaw tightened, and for the first time, I saw a flash of something deeper in his eyes, something that looked a lot like pain.

Mr. Caldwell seemed to realize he'd said too much. He gave Ethan a sympathetic nod, then shuffled away, leaving me sitting there with a thousand unanswered questions swirling in my mind.

"What's going on, Ethan?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "I have heard about Selene, but what really happened to her? What did Mr. Caldwell mean?"

Ethan's eyes darkened, his expression closing off in a way I hadn't seen before. "Lia, it's really none of your business," he said sharply, his tone cutting through the air between us. "If you're so curious, maybe you should just stay out of it."

I blinked, taken aback by the sudden shift in his mood. His words hit like a slap, leaving me momentarily stunned. Before I could even process what had just happened, Ethan pushed his chair back abruptly, the legs scraping against the floor with a harsh sound. Without another word, he stormed out of the library, leaving me sitting there, confused and hurt.

For a moment, I just stared at the empty space where Ethan had been, my mind racing to make sense of everything. What is the truth of Selene? Why did her name affected him so much? And why did he shut me out so quickly, without even a hint of explanation?

Before I could spiral too far into my thoughts, Nova and Iris appeared beside me, their presence a welcome distraction from the whirlwind of emotions building inside me.

"Hey," Nova said, her voice light and teasing, clearly unaware of the tension that had just unfolded. "You and Ethan seemed awfully close over there."

I forced a smile, though it felt hollow. "Yeah, not exactly."

Iris, always more perceptive, caught on to my silence almost immediately. She gave me a gentle nudge, her eyes full of quiet understanding. "Let's head home," she said softly.

I nodded, grateful for the escape. As we walked out of the library, the weight of what had just happened settled heavily on my chest. My heart was still pounding, not just from the confusion but from the sharpness of Ethan's words. I had been so sure we were growing closer, that our easy conversations and shared moments were leading to something deeper. But now? Now I wasn't sure if I knew him at all.

As we stepped into the cool evening air, the echoes of Mr. Caldwell's words lingered in my mind, adding a layer of complexity to the mystery I hadn't even known existed. Ethan had always been calm, steady—someone I could rely on. But this side of him, the anger and the pain—it was like seeing a stranger.

Who really is Selene? And why did she mean so much to him?

I knew one thing for sure—I wasn't going to let this go. There was more to Ethan than he was letting on, and despite his warning, I was determined to understand. The connection I felt with him wasn't something I could just walk away from. It was real, and now, it was tangled up with a past I didn't fully understand.

And as much as it scared me, I couldn't help but feel that this was only the beginning of a deeper, more complicated story. One I was already far too invested in to turn back.