“Thank you for yourpliment!”
Their easy banter andughter didn’t go unnoticed. A short distance away, Ethan had been watching them. His gaze lowered slightly, and a flicker of unreadable emotion passed through his eyes.
It was past nine by the time Liz and Hunter finished dinner. After dropping him off, she finally headed home. Just as she settled onto the couch, her phone buzzed with a message from Hunter, asking if she had gotten back safely.
She replied, then hesitated before tapping into Ethan’s chat. She had been thinking of how to politely turn him down, but before she could type anything, his message arrived.
“Tammy’sing to the reunion tomorrow too. I think it’s been years since you twost saw each other.”
Tammy Fisher had been Liz’s seatmate back in tenth grade. They had been pretty close at the time. She was one of the few ssmates Liz could actually talk to. But after graduation, they slowly drifted apart. Life got busy, and eventually they stopped keeping in touch altogether.
Liz wasn’t particrly interested in the reunion, but she did want to see Tammy again. With that thought, she asked Ethan for
the time and location.
He quickly replied, “7:00 p.m. at Golden Crown Hotel.”
As Liz read the message, she paused for a moment. If she remembered correctly, the Golden Crown Hotel was owned by Rick, Zac’s best friend. When the hotel first opened, Zac had brought Xena to theunch party and sent over avish gift package.
She checked the address and saw that it was not far from her apartment. After sending a simple “OK” emoji, she set her phone
down and headed to take a shower.
By the time she finished drying her hair, it was close to 11:00 p.m. Her friend Jane called and asked if she wanted to grab dinner the next evening.
When Liz mentioned she had a high school reunion, Jane sounded surprised. “Wait, you’re actually going? You never attend those things. You barely keep in touch with anyone from high school. How did you even find out there was a reunion?”
“I ran into Ethan tonight. He told me about it.”
“Oh? Is he seeing anyone these days? If not, you should give it a shot. He did save you that time overseas. That didn’t stir anything in your heart?”
A few years ago, Liz had traveled alone and encountered a harassment incident. Ethan had been there and stepped in to help her. He was tall, good-looking, and someone from her past. It was the kind of moment that usually sparked something between two
people.
But Liz answered inly. “I’m not interested in dating right now. I’m mentoring an intern, and I don’t have time for romance.”
Jane was not convinced. “Come on. If someone goodes along, you should give it a chance. Otherwise, people are going to keep thinking you’re still hung up on that scumbag Zac Lincoln.
“He’s head over heels for Xena now,” she continued. “He’s always taking her to exclusive events, buying her jewelry that costs millions. You were with him for eight years and walked away with nothing. Just thinking about it makes my blood boil.”
Jane clenched her teeth. She had seen Zac and Xena together at several recent gs. Xena always wore that smug, self-satisfied look, like she had won some kind of prize. Jane had honestly wanted to p the expression off her face.
Liz lowered her gaze and replied calmly, “It’s his money. He can spend it however he wants. It’s not worth getting upset about.”
She really had let him go.
In the beginning, just hearing Zac’s name had made her heart skip a beat. But now, it meant nothing. His name no longer carried any weight in her life.
To her, Zac was simply a part of the past. And that part of her life was growing more distant with every passing day.
“You’re really not bitter at all? You don’t think it was a waste?” Jane asked, clearly baffled.
If it had been her, she would have made Zac suffer. There was no way she would have let him off so easily.
Liz gave a faint smile. “No. Every bit of bitterness was worn away during those three years of back-and-forth after he cheated.
The feelings faded right along with it. Now, I just want us to move on and live our lives peacefully.”