Chapter 14 #3
He glanced at Francine. “You’ve used me, and you created this mess in the first place, so you’re going to be the one who’s going to have to pick up the pieces. I’m done.”
“Look, I know it must seem like things are hard, but if you have to break up with Lucinda, then just do it privately. Don’t make any announcement.”
“Keep playing the game, you mean? So you’re not embarrassed?”
“Think about Christine,” Francine pleaded.
“She’s going to die anyway, so why should I make a promise that should last forever to keep a dying woman happy?” he said brutally.
“But Ethan—”
“No.”
His chair toppled to the floor as he strode away, his family’s voices chasing him down the hall. He didn’t want to face them again, so he picked up his bag from the guest room where he’d stayed and kept walking to the back door.
There he found Wayne, smoking, because Francine didn’t let him do it in the house.
“You’re leaving?” Wayne coughed and stamped out his cigarette.
“I’ve got things to do.” Beyond that, he wouldn’t say. He didn’t owe this man any explanation. Not when Wayne was just as much at fault as Francine. How else would she have known about Ellie?
“Don’t be a stranger,” Wayne called as Ethan hefted the bag on his shoulder and walked away, stepping around the party detritus. No doubt Francine had organised a cleaning company to deal with this. No way would she get her hands dirty. She preferred to dirty her hands in other ways.
He got in his car and gunned the engine, sending a spray of white gravel behind. Nope. No time to care that this would leave a whopping big muddy scar on the driveway. Francine had brought this on herself.
He drove back along the winding road that showcased the Highlands’ pretty views.
But there was no time to admire them. He wanted to get to the freeway heading towards Sydney before it got clogged with the usual Sunday traffic.
He glanced at the fuel gauge. Great. He’d need more petrol for the car to make the drive home.
If memory served him right, there were a couple of options in Wattle Vale, so he drove there, then turned left.
The first stop couldn’t be accessed from this side of the road, so he drove up the old highway that served as the main street.
The old historic train station was on one side, closely followed by a park famous for its pretty rotunda and tulips.
A few more shops and a couple of pubs, then the primary school.
On the other side a Chinese restaurant was a few doors down from an antique store and another café called The Silver Teapot.
His heart panged. His mum used to love to visit cafés like that. He wondered if it was open, whether someone might know where Ellie worked, then saw the CLOSED sign and kept driving.
Five minutes later, his car was refuelled and he’d grabbed a few snacks, and he was exiting Wattle Vale, his heart still sore.
He really should have gotten to church this morning to get some God perspective, but the timing of things meant he’d missed the services of most churches around here.
Maybe he could make his church’s evening service back in the city.
“Lord, what do I do? This whole situation feels like such a mess.”
His mind tracked through the frustrations of the past twenty-four hours. The past week. The past fortnight. Back to when he’d met Ellie and felt those moments of connection. She must hate him. She must feel so confused. What on earth was she thinking? Lord, help her not to hate me too much.
Everything felt impossible. Ellie. Lucinda. Christine. His family. And yet … God was the one who could work all things out for good. Things that felt impossible for man weren’t impossible for God. “God, I know You can work this out, but please show me how.”
His heart clenched at the memory of his sister’s machinations.
How had she known Ellie to make sure she was at her place?
Wait. Francine had known—must know how to get in contact with Ellie.
He exhaled, the wheel jerking so he nearly swerved into the next lane, earning himself a loud honk from a large semitrailer.
Okay. So as much as he might prefer to have nothing more to do with his sister right now, he couldn’t afford to tick her off too much.
She somehow knew Ellie, so he would need to find out how.
Coming to the Southern Highlands had been a bust in terms of finding Ellie himself, but Francine seemed to be the only one who knew where she was.
Then another thought struck him. Ellie had reached out via Instagram, so he needed to find someone who could help him get back on that platform and he could reach her that way.
His fingers clenched the steering wheel.
Why had he allowed all of the stupid drama about Lucinda to stop him from remembering this? He was such a fool.
Whatever happened, today was the day to speak truth, not to hide behind lies. And while his family would no doubt protest, he had to do it for the sake of his conscience.
And for Ellie.
And for the rest of his life.