“You’ve been rubbing it ever since we left Marco’s.”
“Oh.” I clasped my hands in my lap.
“I wish you had told me about that,” Ethan said. He finally glanced up at me, his eyes dark. “Then again, if you had, I would have ended up punching him. I’m sure an assault charge wouldn’t impress your dad.”
“Probably not.” I gave him a tight-lipped smile.
“How many times?” Ethan asked.
“How many times what?”
“How many times did he hit you?”
“Just once. I left him not long after that.”
“Not long?”
“I caught him with another woman about a week later.”
“And you left because of that?” Ethan’s voice rose in pitch, and he furrowed his brow. “Not because he hit you?”
“It’s complicated.” I started to reach for the scar again but stopped myself. “Our fathers are friends. His family is an important client. I couldn’t just make accusations like that.”
Ethan stared at me for a full minute before he scowled and went back to soothing my toes.
“That’s fucked up, Ashlyn.”
*****
The grand house that had been my home as a child looked strangely ominous despite the festive decorations lining the driveway. I drove past the valet area and parked in my usual spot in front of the garage door.
“Are you ready for this?” Ethan reached over the center console of my Saab and placed his hand on my thigh.
“Not at all,” I said, “but I guess sitting in the car all afternoon isn’t much of an option.”
“I don’t have to be here,” he said. “I can just head back to my apartment and wait for you. I can always meet your family another time.”
“No.” I shook my head quickly. “It’s my graduation party, and I want you here. Besides, waiting just prolongs the inevitable, and you got all dressed up.”
“I look pretty awesome, don’t I?” Ethan flashed me his brilliant smile.
He did look awesome. My jaw had just about hit the ground when he came out of his apartment entrance wearing an Armani suit, complete with vest and fancy brown shoes. They were off-brand, which wouldn’t go unnoticed, but they looked nice, and he said they were comfortable.
“You do clean up well,” I said with a laugh. I leaned over to kiss his cheek, and we both stepped out of the car.
Instead of arriving early and going through the house, I purposely showed up just a few minutes late and walked around the house and through the balloon tunnel to my graduation luncheon. Vanessa had gone all out for my party, even by her standards. Aside from the balloons, there was a string quartet playing on a raised platform, two full bars on either side of the yard, and a buffet-style feast that probably could have fed an army.
The entire back yard was already full of people, and all of the lavish decorations were in my school’s colors, right down to the vests worn by the quartet musicians.
Despite the suit, Ethan was getting a lot of looks from the guests as we walked in together. He might have been dressed well, but the rings in his lip and forehead were the focus of everyone’s attention. I noticed one woman actually poke the person beside her and point toward us as she shook her head.
Ethan smiled at everyone and didn’t seem to notice the blatant stares. I took a deep breath, tried to ignore my pounding heart, and smiled right along with him.
I glanced around, trying to figure out where Vanessa was. I preferred to run into her before my father. Vanessa was always the queen of manners, and I knew she wouldn’t do or say anything to upset me with so many people around. I spotted her by a long table full of appetizers, speaking with someone in a chef’s coat. Ethan looked around the yard, taking it all in until I grabbed ahold of his hand and headed toward my stepmother.
Vanessa’s eyes widened slightly as she looked up and saw me with Ethan. Her smile appeared a second later, and she walked up to us with open arms.
“Ashlyn, my darling!” She grasped my shoulders and quickly leaned in to kiss my cheek. “So glad you’ve arrived! Congratulations on your graduation!”