Wish - Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The DC winter air hit me like a slap as I stepped off the plane. I pulled my coat tighter, shivering. Ethan was easy to spot in the crowd, his height and good looks drawing attention.

“Mom asked me to pick you up,” he said, taking my suitcase and turning to leave. He paused, glancing back. “Don’t get any ideas. I didn’t volunteer.”

I smiled, my expression carefully blank. “Thanks.”

He seemed to grit his teeth before striding off towards the parking garage. I didn’t rush, keeping my own pace. He was already waiting by the car when I arrived, looking impatient.

“Hurry up. I have plans tonight.”

I ignored the passenger seat and opened the back door.

“Ashley!” His voice was colder than the December air. I met his gaze calmly. “Isn’t the front seat for girlfriends?”

He slammed the car door, a harsh laugh escaping his lips. “You’re really pushing it. Fine, sit wherever you want.”

The drive was silent. As we pulled up to the Miller’s brightly lit house, my legs felt heavy. Ethan stopped beside me. “What are you afraid of? He’s not going to bite,” he said, looking down at me.

It wasn’t fear, it was shame. Shame at facing the man I once called Mr. Miller. “I’ll leave early. Come with me,” Ethan said, heading towards the house. I hesitated. He turned back, clicking his tongue impatiently. “What are you waiting for? Come on.”

He beckoned, a familiar gesture, reminding me of how he used to wait for me after school. A wave of acceptance washed over me. Maybe being just friends wasn’t so bad after all. I smiled. “Coming.”

He looked startled, then scowled for some reason, but slowed his pace. Dinner was tense. Mr. Miller, his health failing, wanted to move back to DC permanently. Mrs. Miller remained impassive. The icy silence between them was heavier than any argument.

After dinner, Mr. Miller called Ethan to his study. Half an hour later, Ethan stormed down, dragging me out of the house. I glanced back at Mrs. Miller, her face a mask of cold fury in the lamplight.

It sent a shiver down my spine. I’d lived with the Millers for a while, spent a lot of time with Mrs. Miller. This was the first time I’d seen such a chilling expression on her usually kind face.

I didn’t have time to dwell on it. Ethan practically shoved me into the car, his anger palpable. He drove recklessly back to his apartment. He told me to go inside. I wouldn’t go back to that apartment, not after everything.

Our relationship, like me moving out, was a one–way street. “Ashley, get out of the car.”

“I’m not going up there with you.” I pulled out my phone, my voice steady. “If you force me, I’ll call the police.”

“Go ahead. Ask them if it’s illegal for a boyfriend to bring his girlfriend home.”

“We broke up, Ethan.”

“I never said that.”

“Does this really matter now?” I wanted to laugh but I was too tired “Ethan I don’t want to fight. I’m exhausted. I want to go home and sleep.”

“I thought you had plans tonight?”

“Go to your plans. I’ll take a cab.”

He stood outside the car, shrouded in shadows, his gaze intense. After a long moment, he relented. “I’ll take you home. But if you refuse again, you’re not going anywhere tonight.”