Chapter 6
If there was one woman in this world who Ethan couldn’t stand, one woman he despised, it was Lilith Sinclair. It was taking everything in him, every scrap of self-restraint, to keep the hostility off his face.
He’d barely seen Lilith since getting back to Deep River. Now, standing here, watching her look at Maggie with glassy eyes filled with contempt, like Maggie was a bitter aftertaste, he wished Lilith wasn’t in this town at all.
Lilith straightened the strap of the bag on her shoulder. “What are you doing here?”
“I’ve moved back,” Maggie said softly.
Lilith’s eyes widened. “For good?”
Why did she say it like that? Like Maggie didn’t belong in her own hometown?
Maggie lifted a shoulder. “I don’t know. Maybe for now. Maybe for good.”
Lilith’s lips thinned. “What about your flight-attending job?”
“I quit.”
Her aunt made a small tsk sound that could only be interpreted as disapproving.
Fuck this.
He slipped an arm around Maggie’s waist. The fact that she didn’t react proved how in-her-own-head she was. “We’ll see you later, Lilith.”
Lilith frowned. “Are you two—”
“We’ll see you later.” He moved to tug Maggie around the older woman when Lilith looked back at her.
“We should have tea. After all, we have eleven years to catch up on, and you never did get those things you were supposed to take that night.”
They hadn’t spoken in eleven years?
“Maybe.” The single word from Maggie was noncommittal.
Lilith heard it too. Her eyes narrowed. “I’ll call. If you’ve unblocked my number.”
Then the woman walked away, like she wasn’t the definition of evil.
Shit, he hated her. He’d met a lot of people he hated in his time as a SEAL, and Lilith was right up there with the scum of the earth.
He glanced down at Maggie. At the sad set of her lips. The shadows beneath her eyes. “Are you okay?” For a moment, she didn’t respond. “Maggie.” He slipped his arm from her waist to her shoulders. She jumped, and he repeated, “Are you okay?”
She nodded, but the move was almost jerky. “I’m fine.”
“Mags—”
“I need to go. I’ll see you around, Ethan.”
His jaw locked, but unless he forced her to stay, he had no choice but to watch her go.
The guys came to stand with him, coffee and to-go boxes in hand.
“Everything okay?” Connor asked.
“Maggie and I just ran into her aunt. Apparently, the two of them haven’t spoken in eleven years.”
Joel frowned, croissant in his mouth. “Coincidence?”
“I don’t believe in coincidences.” Whatever had happened that night between him and Maggie had involved Lilith. He’d always known it, but this confirmed it.
There was a small pause before Connor squeezed his shoulder. “Come on. Let’s get back to the site. There’s a shit ton of work to be done there.”
Ethan nodded but shot one more glance over his shoulder. Lilith wasn’t there anymore. She’d somehow known all those years ago that Maggie was breaking up with him before he had. And Maggie was supposed to be home in Deep River that night.
What happened? That evening had never made sense to him.
One way or another, he was going to find out. Eleven years may have passed, but the pain was so fresh he felt it like it had happened yesterday.