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Robyn and I laugh as we continue our conversation, and I can’t help but steal glances at Ethan the entire time. I’ve only seen him once in the past week, and that was during the meeting at the office to discuss the new project we landed.
When I find his eyes on me, my breath hitches in my throat and a tremor enters my heart.
His eyes show his longing. So why can’t he let himself feel?
“Everything alright between you two?” Robyn asks me after some time, and I turn to her again, clearing my throat. “You and Ethan … He keeps looking at you.”
“We’re fine.” Lying hasn’t always been my strongest suit, so when Robyn gives me a suspicious look, I sigh, and my shoulders slump a little. “Does it look like something is wrong?”
“No,” she answers with another cheery smile. “The way he looks at you, Nelly. That’s the look of a man deeply in love. I don’t think you two will ever have a problem.”
Her words make me glance toward Tom again. “You think he’s in love?” A flicker of hope sparks in me.
“Tom told me about the fake marriage.” Robyn leans closer to me and whispers. When she moves away again, she touches my shoulder. “But I can tell, he loves you, Nelly. He’s gone out of his way. You don’t do that if you’re not in love.”
“I don’t know, Robyn … Ethan has a history of being this way with a lot of women.” While we’re talking, I spot him chatting with some ladies too. They laugh hysterically at what he’s saying, and he pecks one on the cheek before walking away.
Robyn touches my shoulder. "Men are slower than we are with these things, but he'll realize it for sure. I remember dropping so many hints about how much I liked being with him while working on cases together, yet it still took him forever to confess."
She chuckles softly, her eyes filled with warmth as she reminisces. "As a prosecutor and a cop, Tom and I have always made a great team. It just took him a little longer to see what was right in front of him."
She smiles at me one last time before moving to go speak with Tom and his friends. My pulse still thuds faster than ever, and I try not to overthink Robyn's words.
When the music comes on for a dance, Robyn and Tom immediately pair up, while the other guests select their dance partners. I dance with Tom after Robyn is done, and Ethan dances with his grandfather.
Our eyes meet far too many times in the three minutes spent on the dance floor, and every collision draws my heart closer to an explosion.
Ethan walks over to me when the second song ends and another takes over. “May I?” he asks Tom, and Tom steps back before handing my hand over to him.
Once in his arms, it’s like the rest of the world no longer exists. The tides of my emotions sweep me off, taking control as I’m lost in his eyes.
Ethan doesn’t look away from me either. His eyes search mine while he leads the pace, holding my hand in his while my body presses against his.
“You look beautiful tonight,” he whispers after twirling me around. The sudden gasp that leaves my lips gives away my nervousness.
“Thank you,” I murmur, not knowing what else to say.
I twirl around once more before returning to his embrace. We stop dancing, and I’m frozen in place, lost in the moment as his gaze trails over my face.
He licks his lips, then his head sways gently. “I—”
“Everyone,” Robert announces, interrupting whatever Ethan was about to say to me. Tom and Robyn join us, and Ethan only smiles before he focuses on his grandfather’s speech about love and family.
When I glance over at him again, he’s staring at me, a torn look etched into his features, making it seem like he’s in pain. I long to offer him comfort and tell him it’s okay.
It’s okay to love.
It’s okay to need someone.
***
Tom and I finally got the chance to talk towards the end of the evening. “Robyn seems to be having a good time,” I say to him as we watch his wife talk with Ethan and the Brene’s.
Tom nods with a radiant smile on his face, and I can tell from how he looks at Robyn that he adores her. It’s been three years since they got married and not once did that look change.
I notice Julia flirting with Ethan, her hand on his arm even as he tries to put distance between them. Seeing her always gets me on edge.
“He told you about Julia, didn’t he?” Tom questions when he catches me glaring at her. His words pull me back to reality. “You have the look of a ferocious cat.”