Chapter 16 #2
Her sister laughed. “Gosh, it’s been a minute since I’ve heard that. Jordan sometimes says it too, and it takes me by surprise.”
“I don’t know why. Not when you forced us all to call you that for twenty years.”
“I do like being called Emma-Jane though. Especially by Jordan.”
“Ugh. Too soon.”
“Hey, I thought you liked him. You were always Team Jordan, right?”
“Look, he’s a good guy, and he’s lucky to have you. But you can’t go being too happy about your relationship. Not when your sister has just had her heart broken.”
“Please. She knew the guy for how many weeks? That’s not heartbreak. That’s hope-break.”
She winced. What would EJ say if she learned about Ellie’s disappointed hopes? In her case, it hadn’t even been weeks, but a single day.
“Ellie?”
“Did you come up with that hope-break term yourself?”
“Yep! Although I might’ve heard a version of it on a psychology lecture I once attended.”
“Okay, well, I’ll see how she’s doing and let you know. But I think you can expect to see her sometime tomorrow.”
“Not too early though. Jordan and I are planning a run.”
“He’s back in the city?”
“He’s coming in early just so we can have one of our runs like we used to. Actually, that reminds me. We were going to have a date on Saturday night. But I’m sure we can change our plans.”
“Oh, you shouldn’t have to do that.”
“Leave it with me. You know Jordan. He’s pretty easygoing, and I’m sure he’ll understand. This is a good cause, after all.”
Jordan was one of the good guys. A keeper, like Liam.
He’d loved Emma-Jane for years, then finally found the courage a few months ago to admit his feelings.
Now that he was working remotely, living at home for a time with his parents just outside Wattle Vale, he and EJ didn’t see each other as often as they did when they worked together in the city.
But they were making their relationship work, their shared history and values providing a strong foundation for the future.
And Ellie was happy for her. And for Liv. It was good to know that two of her sisters had found real love, even if the remaining Bennett sisters seemed to have missed out.
“So, what’s going on with you, Ethan?” Charlene asked. “You don’t seem yourself.”
Ethan paused from rearranging the chairs after youth group. How to answer this when any answer seemed potential for more gigantic mess? “Uh, there’s been a bit happening lately.”
She eyed him, then paused her own cleanup. “Want to talk?”
He hesitated. Yes. But also no. He didn’t want to expose his failures to act like a real man.
Her eyes narrowed, then she pointed to a chair. “Sit. You need to talk, whether you want to or not.”
Fine. He slumped into a chair, and like a blister poked by a needle, out came all the gunk.
Her eyes widened as he talked, and yes, he might have overshared, but he didn’t want to hide anymore. He needed wisdom, needed a way forward. And Charlene had proved her practical wisdom in the past few years he’d worked alongside her.
“Are you seriously saying that Lucinda lied about your engagement?”
He nodded.
“Oh my gosh. She sounds like a stalker.”
Now that he thought about it some more, yes, she did.
“I can’t believe anyone would do that.” She frowned at him. “Or that anyone would go along with it.”
“Not my greatest moment, I admit.”
“What a mess.”
“Amen.” He leaned forward, placed his head in his hands.
“Why would she even do that?”
He shrugged. “Remember that weekend when I went up to the Blue Mountains?”
She nodded.
“I, uh, met someone there.”
“Ooh!”
“You’re not a teenager, Charlene.”
“I know. Working with them has rubbed off on me. Tell me more. Name, deets, now.”
“That’s the thing. She’s the girl who did the youth group promo I shared with you.”
“Huh. So she’s a talented graphic artist.” She smiled. “Does she have a name?”
“Ellie. Elinor. She has a sister called Katie. They live in the Southern Highlands somewhere, and her parents run a café.”
“So, not exactly the same as your family’s background,” she said wryly.
“Maybe that’s why I liked her so much. It just felt like she was real, genuine. So yeah. Nothing like my family.”
She laughed. “Okay. So you met this girl, you liked her, and then somehow you ended up engaged to Lucinda?”
He explained about his brother-in-law seeing them, and how the next day Lucinda had insisted on getting married.
“And the crazy thing is that all my family agreed. It’s like a conspiracy.”
Her brow lowered. “It does sound really weird. Like, your dad can’t afford any bad publicity. Maybe that’s why. He thought this would be good.”
“One hundred percent that’s why he wants this.” That, and because he wanted to keep the Steele money flowing into his campaign. “I just don’t get why Francine is so keen. I suspect she thinks Lucinda is more malleable, would fit into the family better. She said as much.”
“How would she know if Lucinda fits better than Ellie if she’s never met Ellie?”
“Because Wayne, her husband, might’ve mentioned that Ellie has blue hair.”
Her eyes sparked. “Really?”
He nodded.
“I like her already.”
“That makes two of us. I just wish my family would give her a chance. You know Francine even had Ellie come to this supposed engagement party last weekend?”
“What?”