"Yeah."
My heart sinks. My stomach gets heavy. Poor Mal.
The man dumped me and I'm still aching for him.
Maybe that's pathetic, but I don't care.
I love him and I hate that he's hurting.
"I'm sorry." I don't know Ethan all that well, but I do like him, and I hate that he's hurting too.
"Thanks." His voice softens. "I know Mal ended things. It sounded like a bunch of bullshit to me, so I can't imagine how it sounded to you."
I press my lips together. "It wasn't my favorite conversation."
"He's the most stubborn person I know. He's not going to see it on his own. And he'd fucking kill me if he knew I was calling to ask you this—"
"But?"
"He needs you."
"Are you sure he needs me?"
"Yeah."
"He asked me not to come."
"You want to be there?"
"Yeah, but…" I don't know how to finish the sentence. But everything.
"You believe he loves you?"
"I don't know." I want to, but then I don't. It's worse thinking that I can't have a Mal who loves me.
"I do. If it hurts too much, I get that. But if you want to come, come. I'll be here all day. If no one answers when you knock call me."
"Okay." I let my exhale get heavy. Ethan and Mal have a sibling mind-reading I've never seen before. I trust Ethan's judgment on this. Maybe. "I have to think about it."
"He'll figure it out, Lacey."
"I hope you're right."
40
Mal
It's a beautiful September night. The cool breeze takes the air from warm to temperate. The ocean is that deep, dark blue. It seems to stretch forever. It bleeds into the dark sky so seamlessly it's hard to tell where one stops and the other begins.
The stars are still shining.
The waves are still pounding the sand to dust.
By the looks of it, everything is normal.
But it's not.
It's been hours now. Maybe four. Or six. Or eight. Hell, it might be tomorrow for all I'm aware of time.