A Wonderful Kind of Love (Kinds of Love 2)

He kissed her. He didn't think, he just pressed his lips against hers, hoping that he could convey the depth of his feelings through the motion. He didn't have the words to tell her how he felt, so he showed her.

She pushed him away and wiped at her mouth. “That's not what I want, Ethan,” she told him. Her voice wasn't angry. If anything it was sad. “I want a break. I want to not worry about you, and I don't want to have to explain to Ivy and Dallas where you are. I don't want to lie and tell them that you're not on a plane.”

His heart cracked. He didn't want to lose her. Not like this. He thought he was going to lose her because of Janie, but this?

Janie. The thought hit him hard. If Janie thought they were broken up, she would leave Laura alone. Perhaps this was a blessing in disguise. If Janie thought that Laura wasn't a threat, she would focus only on him. Laura would be safe.

He looked up into Laura's sad green eyes and knew what he had to do. He had to keep her safe. He had to push her away.

“Are you sure this is what you want?” he asked, his heart already breaking.

She swallowed hard but met his eyes. “Yes. I can't do this.”

His heart shattered, but he knew it would keep her safer this way. At least until Janie was found and taken care of. He took a step away from her and lowered his eyes.

“I respect your decision,” he said softly. “We'll take a break.”

Her lower lip quivered, and he nearly lost his nerve.

“I'm sorry, Ethan.” She swallowed hard.

“Me too,” he replied. He took a deep breath and looked around. “Say goodbye to the kids for me.”

And with that, he turned and walked away. He wasn't a safe person for her to be around. He needed to keep them safe, and this was the most efficient way. He'd make sure it leaked to the papers, and he'd have Pete and Joe tell Bruce to spread the word.

He felt like sobbing as he walked back to the car. He would fix everything as soon as he could, but for right now, he was protecting her. He walked away without looking back. There was no reason to be here now.

Chapter 35

Laura

Laura walked into Sandy's and was glad to see the place was mostly empty. It wasn't quite lunchtime yet, so the usual crowds weren't there. She'd dropped the kids off for their last day at school and headed over to the one place she knew would have comfort food and a friend.

“Hey you,” Elena greeted her from the bar as she walked up. Elena's smile faded as she looked at Laura. “What's the matter?”

“I think I broke up with Ethan,” Laura told her. The words felt like daggers driving into her heart.

“What?” Elena asked. She quickly walked around the bar and wrapped her friend up in a hug. “What happened?”

“I freaked out because he was on an airplane,” Laura explained. “Like super freaked.”

“Okay...” Elena let her go, motioning to two bar stools. Together they sat down to talk. “How did that lead to you two breaking up?”

Laura shrugged. It sounded stupid now, but she still felt mad about the whole thing. “He's going to be traveling a lot,” she explained. “He has to go back and forth between here and California. I can't handle it. I lose it just thinking about what could happen on the plane.”

“You know planes are safe, right?” Elena asked. “He's fine.”

“Oh, your right,” Laura replied, putting as much sarcasm into her voice as she could without snarling. “Soooo safe. By the way, how are your parents, Elena?”

“Whoa, Laura,” Elena held up her hands defensively. “I'm not trying to attack you.”

Laura sighed and ran her hands through her hair. “I know. Sorry.”

“It's okay,” Elena assured her. “So you told him this?”

Laura nodded. “Yeah. I told him we needed to take a break. That we were going too fast.”

“Okay. How'd he respond?” Elena asked.