Chapter 6
(Audra)
______
I know the look of a man that regrets a one-night stand.
I’ve seen it countless times with men I’ve slept with.
I wish I could say I don’t care, but that’s a lie.
It really hurts, especially because I thought Ethan was different.
I don’t know what’s going through his mind right now.
I don’t know what he’s thinking, but when he gets back, he’s going to have to explain himself. We’re both adults.
Right now, though, I’m thinking about Capa.
He’s dead, but I’m sure he has parents who wonder what happened to him.
According to what he told me, he was abducted when he was about thirteen, which was four years ago.
His family lived in a very poor neighborhood.
He was sent to buy something but was kidnapped by the cartel.
They’ve been using him as child labor ever since.
His parents must be worried sick. Capa gave me directions on how to find them, but I’m not sure how to approach the situation.
I want to do something; it’s the least he deserves.
But right now, I’m pretty much a refugee.
I can’t provide his parents with any comfort until I can figure out a way to help myself first.
When Ethan returns, he’s even more broody than when he left. He hands me breakfast which I quickly eat. Then I get into the bathroom to shower and put on clean clothes. When I return, he’s lying on the bed, seemingly staring off into space.
Maybe I’m reading this wrong , I think to myself. I lie on the bed beside him and lean forward to kiss him. But to my dismay, Ethan dodges the kiss.
I gasp in outrage.
“What the fuck?” I ask him.
“Audra,” he says in a calming tone while stepping out of bed.
“Don’t Audra me. I thought I was wrong, but you really are one of those types, aren’t you?”
His eyes narrow.
“What type?”
“The ones that fuck women and then get bored by the following morning. Is that what I am to you, Ethan? Someone you can just fuck and then forget?” I ask, standing by the bed with my hands on my hips.
I’m grateful for the bed. It’s put a distance between us. Otherwise I might have slapped him.
He moves further away from me and runs a hand through his brown hair in frustration.
“I’m not, Audra. What the fuck? How could you even think that of me?” he questions.
“You’ve been distant all morning. You literally just rejected me. You can’t tell me you haven’t had second thoughts or regrets.”
He’s silent for a beat.
“I have not. I’ve been thinking about how we’re going to solve our problem.
I haven’t been able to get in contact with my team in the U.S.
because I don’t have a secure channel. These terrorists play bigger than I thought.
They’ve got the local police involved. Even if you have to leave the hotel room, which you don’t, I need you to wear this hat at all times,” he says, handing it to me.
“That’s what I’m thinking about, Audra. How we’re going to get out of this damn country, safe and sound.”
I stare at him for a moment, trying to take in his words.
“Bullshit,” I finally say.
“Audra!” he yells.
“Don’t yell at me. I’m not some slut you picked up in a club. I have more self-respect than that. I deserve to be treated better. And screw your, ‘I don’t have to leave the hotel.’ I’m going to because I can’t stay in this room with you any longer.”
I grab the hat, and then move to the table to grab some money out of his wallet. Ethan watches me do all this, fuming in silence. His arms are crossed, and he doesn’t make any move to stop me. I can’t believe I ever thought he was a sweet, kind man.
He’s a dick. An annoying, insensitive human being. He doesn’t even try to stop me as I step out of the hotel room and slam the door shut.
****
It isn’t until I leave the room that I remember the already throbbing wound on my arm. I didn’t use my medication, and it also needed a dressing change.
Damn Ethan for annoying me . This is all his fault.
I realize I might have overreacted, but I’m not absolutely wrong in this situation. He has been distant, and then he had the audacity to lie to me. I’m sure he was also thinking about our safety, but I know men, and he rejected me. Cold.
He should just come clean and say, Audra, I don’t think it’s going to work out. Turns out I don’t have feelings for you, and last night only happened in a fit of passion.
If he said that, I would take it like a big girl.
I would probably kick him in the nuts, but at least we could remain friends. Instead, he’s doing the one thing I hate the most.
In my opinion, everyone lies too much. I value honesty above all else. It’s also why I’ve been single for so long. Most of my exes have been lying dirtbags, and as soon as I catch them in a lie, I drop them without a second thought.
It’s not a pretentious attitude; it’s just how I’m wired.
There are so many thoughts swimming through my head that I feel like it’s about to implode.
I decide to get a cab to the one place that always seems to calm me and help me cool off. For a moment, I consider that Ethan might come looking for me, but in the end, I decide not to care.
I’ll be back in a few hours anyway.
As he said, I need him to be able to get out of this country safe and sound.