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Novel Catalog
Chapter 17
Catherine felt her stomach tighten at Ethan’s words. She had known that things had escalated at the restaurant, but hearing it laid out so bluntly made her feel a sense of shame that she hadn’t anticipated. She hadn’t planned for things to go this far, but at the time, she had only been trying to defend herself and make sure her point was heard.
“Do you think I wanted that to happen?” she asked, her voice colder than she intended. “I didn’t plan for anyone to get dragged out or embarrassed. Rebecca deserved it, and as for Janet and Cindy, they were part of the mess too. Maybe they shouldn’t have gotten involved.”
Ethan’s expression was unreadable, but the frustration in his eyes was clear. “Cathy, you’re better than this. You don’t need to stoop to their level.”
She sighed heavily, rubbing her forehead. “I don’t need a lecture from you, Ethan. You don’t understand.”
“No, I don’t understand,” he retorted sharply. “You’ve been using your anger to push everyone away. Including me. Especially me.” His voice softened, a mixture of concern and hurt. “You’re pushing people who care about you to the side. Why?”
Catherine didn’t have a ready answer. The truth was, she didn’t really know anymore. The mess with the Jones family, the tension with Shaun, the way everything felt like it was crumbling around her—it all made her want to shut everyone out. But hearing Ethan’s words made her realize that maybe she had been doing just that. Pushing people away, not because she didn’t care, but because she didn’t know how to deal with everything.
“You don’t get it. Everything’s just… falling apart. And I don’t even know who I’m supposed to be anymore.” Her voice cracked, betraying the frustration she had been holding back.
Ethan took a step closer, his voice softening. “Cathy, you don’t have to do this alone. You never have to do it alone. You have me, and I don’t care about what happened with Rebecca. I care about you.”
Catherine looked up at him, her heart heavy. The weight of everything she had been carrying seemed to lift just a little bit under his gaze. She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could say anything, her phone buzzed in her pocket.
She pulled it out, and the message that popped up made her heart skip a beat. It was from Shaun.
“I expect the food for Fudge by tonight. Don’t make me wait.”
Her chest tightened at the reminder of the uncomfortable situation she was in with him. She swallowed hard, turning her attention back to Ethan. She didn’t want to get tangled in more lies or explanations, especially with Shaun’s demands looming over her head.
“I have to go,” she said, her voice distant. “I’ll figure things out, okay? But right now, I need to handle something.”
Ethan looked like he wanted to say more, but he held back. “Alright. Just… think about what I said, Cathy. You’re not alone.”
Catherine nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She slipped past him and hurried to her car, trying to shake the unease that clung to her. As she drove away, the weight of her responsibilities felt heavier than ever, and she wondered just how much longer she could keep pretending everything was fine.