Chapter 5 - Secrets at MidnightMarcus stared at me, his eyes narrowing as he took in my youth and my protective posture next to his ex-wife.
"And who the hell are you?" Marcus demanded, looking me up and down. "One of Ryan's little gamer buddies?"
"I'm a friend of the family," I replied smoothly, step for step standing between him and Julia. "And right now, you're trespassing."
Marcus laughed, a harsh, dismissive sound, but he looked at the quiet authority in my stance and realized he was outmatched. "Unbelievable," he muttered, turning toward the door. "I'll be speaking to Ryan about this."
When the door slammed shut, the silence in the entryway felt deafening.
Julia leaned against the wall, covering her face with her hands. Her shoulders trembled. "Oh god, Ethan. If he tells Ryan..."
I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her small, shaking frame against my chest. "He doesn't know anything for sure, Julia. He's just trying to rattle you."
"Ryan will hate me," she sobbed softly into my shirt. "He'll think I betrayed him. He'll think I'm a terrible mother for being with his best friend."
"You are not a terrible mother," I said fiercely, tilting her chin up so she had to look at me. "You've given your entire life to him. You deserve happiness too, Julia. We haven't done anything wrong except fall for each other in a complicated situation."
She looked into my eyes, her expression torn between deep guilt and overwhelming affection. "What are we going to do?"
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"We tell him," I said quietly. "We don't let Marcus spin the story. We tell Ryan the truth together, like adults."
Julia took a deep, trembling breath and slowly nodded. "Okay. Together."
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