The Ex

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

THEN

"I have some news."

I pause with my forkful of broccoli beef noodles halfway to my lips and raise my eyebrow at Ethan's serious expression.

"Are you pregnant?" I say with a mock-grave look. "Is that why you bought me my favorite Chinese takeout? So you could drop this bombshell. How dare you?!" I lower my fork and put a hand over my heart. He doesn't smile, he just studies me with a calculating stare. When he offers no response to my theatrics, I reach over our dining room table and take his hand in mine. "Ethan-" his hard gaze softens at my reassuring smile, "I promise I'll support you in this pregnancy." He rolls his eyes as he pulls away from me, "unless of course, the baby isn't mine."

He ignores my accusatory look as he gives an exasperated sigh, "Charlotte-" The clipped use of my name has me pausing. My smile drops as I notice the distress in his wide grey eyes. "This is serious," standing from the dining room table, he abandons his untouched rice with chicken and shiitake mushrooms.

"Ethan, what is it?" I ask as I follow him into the kitchen.

He studies me from the other side of the counter for what feels like a full minute before he finally replies, "I was offered a promotion today."

"You got the marketing manager position?" I grin widely as he nods in response. Covering the short distance between us, I wrap my arms around him, "congratulations! This is amazing news." When I release him, I narrow my eyes and playfully punch him.

He holds his upper arm and pouts, "what was that for?"

"You seriously had me worried for a second." I move past him and retrieve the bottle of champagne we have saved for a special occasion. "We need to celebrate," I unwrap the foil, untwist the wire cage with firm hands over the cork, and pop it. My victory dance as the liquid sprays into the air and over the kitchen bench abruptly ends when I glance at Ethan and see his uneasiness.

He lightly runs his palm over his jaw, and I notice that he hasn't shaved today. That's all the proof I need to recognize that something is seriously wrong. "That was the good news," he swallows hard as he looks to his feet. After what feels like an eternity, his eyes finally jump back to mine, "the bad news is, the position is based in London."

"Oh," is all I say when his words finally register.

"I know," he takes the champagne from my grip and places it on the counter. "I haven't accepted the position."

"You haven't?" I question as he places my hands in his. I hold him tightly, unsure if the source of the tremble is him or me.  

"They gave me the weekend to decide."

"That's good. You have two entire days to decide whether or not to move halfway around the world." And away from me. I think but don't say out loud.

He nods gravely. I mirror his movement as I detach myself from him, walk to the couch, and settle. Placing my head in my hands, I take a moment to process what this means and gather my thoughts. I welcome Ethan's comforting warmth when he sits beside me. I hate this situation. For me. For him. And for us.

I work up the courage to say what needs to be said. What should be said. Swallowing the pain that the thought of losing him brings, I finally meet his tortured gaze. "Ethan, you should take it," the emotion in my voice has him momentarily shutting his eyes.

"Even though it's halfway around the world," he says with a sigh.

"Yes. That doesn't change the fact that it's an amazing opportunity. An opportunity that you've been working towards for as long as I've known you."