52. Go Home
FIFTY-TWO
Go Home
TARA
Tara snapped her shawl around her shoulders as soon as she rushed outside of Jo’s. She glanced in both directions and tore across the street with Ethan right on her heels, following her through the trees just inside the square.
Her jaw clenched. She was so angry her eyes started to water. “Dammit.” She was certain steam was rising from her head as she stomped down the path to the square just inside the treeline. Ethan jogged to follow her.
“Slow down, Tara,” he breathed out as he nearly stumbled over his own two feet. “Jesus.”
Tara was positively fuming when she spun around and tore into him. “What the hell were you trying to prove in there, Ethan? Why are you even here?” Her cheeks flushed red, hot with anger.
He stopped on a dime, nearly crashing into her.
“You have no right to come here like this,” she added.
“It was a mistake to break up,” he said in his defense. “We were good together. I can’t believe you messed up our relationship.
Tara extended her arms in frustration. “You have got to be kidding me!”
“I should never have broken up with you,” he almost pleaded.
“You should…” Tara laughed. “No. I broke up with you… because you cheated on me.”
“But Tara,” he started listing off reasons to be together like bullet points. “I’ve got a great job. We look good together. I can give you everything you want.”
“Stop!” She held up her hand and rolled her eyes. “I wanted fidelity, so whatever you’re selling, I’m not buying it. I can’t emphasize this enough, Ethan. We’re done. I’m through. We’re through. We’re not getting back together. Why can’t you see that?”
He reached out and grabbed her by the elbows and pulled her close. “I love you, Tara,” Ethan crooned. “We can make this work.”
“UGH!”
Tara’s jaw dropped as she yanked her arms loose and took a couple of steps back. “Make what work, Ethan? There’s nothing to make work. Again, we’re through. That’s why I broke up with you. It wasn’t the other way around.”
“But we don’t have to be,” he pleaded again. “You need me!”
“I need you?” Tara guffawed as she caught movement about ten feet behind Ethan.
Steve had followed her out.
Tara let out a slow exhale, then broke into laughter. “You made a promise to me, and you broke it. A promise to be exclusive. A promise to be faithful. You. Broke. It. I don’t need someone who can’t keep their fly zipped.”
“I made a mistake.”
“Now you admit it.”
Ethan moved into Tara’s space, causing her to extend her arms and step back.
“Back off, Ethan.”
Steve moved closer but stopped when Tara stood her ground.
“But she didn’t mean anything to me.”
Hackles raised, Tara cut him off again. Gone was her exasperation, replaced now by anger and determination. Her voice steadied, matching how resolute she felt at shutting him down. “Okay, no. No. No. Stop it right there.”
“But…”
“No.” She glowered at him. “Just stop. Don’t even begin to say she didn’t mean anything to you. Did you tell her the same thing about me? Huh? Did you?”
He dropped his gaze, avoiding her eyes.
“Yeah. That’s what I thought.” Her voice dropped as her chest heaved up and down in anger. “I will not tolerate you belittling another woman you dated for a few months simply because it didn’t work out for you. You probably thought I’d come crawling back to you, didn’t you?” She stepped closer. “Didn’t you?”
“Well, yeah! Fuck, Tara. You made me drive out to this god-forsaken place in the middle of nowhere because you needed me,” he argued. “You ran away, had some girl time, and now I’m here to take you back.”
“Excuse me?” Her brows hit her hairline. “Girl time? I could say the same about you.”
“Oh, come on. You know you can’t do anything for yourself without me. Why do you think I was going to take you in?”
Tara opened her mouth to speak but could barely come up with words. “Take me in? We were about to move in together, Ethan. I wasn’t a charity case.” She stepped away from him before turning back around. “And I never took you for someone who’d resort to gaslighting someone.”
Ethan’s smile dripped with condescension. “I’m not gaslighting you. You just needed…” He paused as if considering the right words, “You just needed someone to take care of you when you couldn’t. You would have been the perfect wife.” He tried to place his hands on Tara’s shoulders, but she backed out of his reach.
A crease formed between her brows as she cocked her head to one side.
“You could have accompanied me to company events and hosted dinner parties. We could have traveled to wonderful and exotic places.” He smiled sweetly. Too sweetly. “And… well… we still can, baby. It’s not too late. You can still come back to me, Tara. I’ll gladly take you back.”
“Wait. What?” Tara’s stomach clenched as the hurt of catching him with another woman came rushing back to her. That hurt, and learning that he never saw her as more than eye candy made it that much worse.
“Yes, of course. And you wouldn’t have to work. I mean, obviously. I would never want my wife to have to work.” Movement behind him made him turn his head.
Steve was just feet away now.
Ethan turned his attention back to Tara and tilted his head toward Steve. “That guy will never be able to care for you like I can.”
“I think you’re done here,” Steve announced.
Tara was holding her own, but Steve’s voice brought her a sense of relief.
“Look,” Ethan said to Steve. “I know you’re trying to look tough and all, but this is between Tara and me.”
Tara rested her hands on her hips in frustration. She stepped back and took several deep breaths as she blinked back the tears of anger and frustration forming in her eyes. Getting this angry always made her eyes water, and she did not want to look like she was crying. Not in front of Ethan.
Not in front of either of them.
Not yet trusting herself to speak, she focused on a few nearby branches that swayed in the evening breeze, letting loose a handful of leaves that lazily drifted to the ground below.
She took a couple more deep breaths as Ethan pressed on with his pleas. “You mean the world to me, Tara.” He grabbed her arm. “And now it’s time to go.” He extended his arm across the square. “Come on. My car’s right over there.”
“She’s not going with you,” Steve said just as Tara shrugged herself free from Ethan’s grip.
“I think that’s for her to decide, man. Not you,” Ethan said as if he were in charge.
“I’m not going with you,” Tara confirmed.
Ethan released a frustrated sigh. “Oh, Tara,” he tsked. “He’s not right for you. Can’t you see that?” He pressed his palms against his chest. “I am. I can provide for you.”
She stepped back as he tried to reach for her again. “I can provide for myself, Ethan.”
“Time to leave her alone.” Steve stepped closer.
“I’ve got this, Steve,” Tara snapped.
Steve narrowed his eyes at Ethan but stepped back at Tara’s request.
Ethan’s lips curled up as if vindicated.
She softened her tone. “It didn’t have to happen this way, Ethan. I loved you once.”
“Past tense.” His eyes turned as cool as the late October air. “No, Tara. That’s where you’re wrong. You still do.”
Tara ignored his words, taking a deep breath to keep her dwindling patience in check. “Now I’m thinking I’m kind of glad I caught you with that woman. I used to think it was nice when you put your arms around me in a crowd to let people know we were together, but after tonight? Shit.” She pressed her lips together. “I had no idea you just wanted a trophy wife.”
Ethen scoffed. “And you really think this guy will treat you well?”
“Yes. I do.”
Ethan kicked at the sidewalk. “I doubt it.”
“You need to leave. Now.”
“Does he fuck you like I–”
Ethan’s words were cut off when Steve’s fist hit his jaw.
“What the fuck, Steve.” Tara bent down to where Ethan had collapsed to the ground, moaning in pain.
“I wasn’t going to stick around and listen to him–”
“I’m fine.” Tara cut him off. “I can handle myself. I don’t need either one of you to take care of me.”
Tara stood as Ethan slowly climbed to his feet.
“You son of a bitch!” Ethan charged toward Steve.
Steve’s second punch knocked Ethan to the sidewalk again. This time with a busted lip.
Ethan felt at his lip and looked at the blood that came back on his fingers.
“THAT’S ENOUGH! BOTH OF YOU,” Tara yelled, stepping between both men. “Stop treating this like some sort of dick-measuring contest.” She turned to Ethan, then Steve. “Both of you. Go home.” She shrugged her shawl back over her shoulders as Ethan stood up and rolled his eyes.
“No. I think your new boyfriend and I have some unfinished business to tend to.”
“Bring it on,” Steve stepped forward, his fists clenched.
“Don’t, Steve,” Tara warned with a glare.
Ethan held his hands up in a fighting stance. He taunted Steve. “Gotta get permission before you show what kind of man you are?”
“That’s enough. Steve, back off. Ethan? He’s already knocked you down twice, so you back off, too” She placed her hands on her hips and glared at him. “You work out, but you don’t fight. How long do you think you’d last against a Marine?”
This time Steve’s lips curled up in a smirk.
Ethan dropped his fists. “I’ll back off for your sake, but not for his.”
“Go home,” she repeated.
“We would have been great, Tara,” he said, finally walking away.
Tara watched Ethan until he disappeared behind some cars on the street. She exhaled, feeling a heavy weight lift off her shoulders that she didn’t realize she’d carried since their breakup.
“You okay, Sugar?” Steve’s deep voice snapped her out of her reverie.
Tara schooled her features and turned to meet Steve’s gaze. She stepped around him, pausing long enough to turn around and admonish him, too. “You, too, Steve. Go home.”
Tara headed back toward Jo’s but stopped when she realized Kiro and Celeste were already outside.
“At least let me walk you home.”
“Don’t follow me,” she snapped. “I’m fine.”
A quick glance at Celeste and Kiro confirmed had just witnessed their exchange from across the street. She walked straight to them. “Would you two please walk me home?”
Celeste shot a worried glance back at Steve then took her arm. “Of course.” The three of them started toward Tara’s house, leaving Steve standing alone on the square.
Right.
Happy Halloween.