6
411words
I bumped into Nathaniel Aldridge—the older brother.
I stumbled back a little, then said, "Mr. Aldridge…?"
He frowned, then recognition softened his face.
"You're Claire Hart, aren't you?" He scanned me once and then something like amusement flickered.
"You're Ethan's… girlfriend?"
I hesitated, then told him the story about falling in the lake and how Ethan had rescued me.
Nathaniel's polite face tightened in anger.
"This is ridiculous—bringing you to a business gathering. What if something went wrong?"
"I'll tell him off," Nathaniel promised, and I smiled and said goodbye, ready to go back to campus.
See, when I was a kid Nathaniel had come to our town to do charity work.
The media wrote about it. He'd given my family money.
My parents?
They spent it on my brother.
The year after, my parents used that money to buy warm coats, and I thought for a second we'd be okay.
I used a payphone once and begged Nathaniel to send the next year's funds directly to me.
He said one word: "Okay." That tiny kindness kept me going through chilblains on my fingers and the cold that gnawed at the edges of our lives.
So when Nathaniel asked if I could visit the company labs for a research reason, I asked with those puppy-dog eyes.
He smiled and said yes.
I waited for Ethan outside the event in a freezing wind, thinking I'd just ride the bus if he didn't show.
Through the door I heard Ethan's clipped voice: "She's just a token I brought. I'm leaving the country soon; if you want to play, play. Why ask me?"
Lucas's voice answered, provoking him.
I overheard—of course I did.
I was supposed to pretend I didn't. When Ethan opened the door he saw me shivering and immediately took off his coat and wrapped it around me, scolding gently: "Why didn't you wait in my car?"
I was freezing.
"There are too many cars. I couldn't find you."
Lucas watched us climb in. That moment I realized Lucas had set this up.
He wanted me to hear Ethan's bold-sounding, careless words.
Back in the car I sneezed. Ethan told the driver to turn the heat up.
"You could catch a cold." Later he softened: "Can I take that jacket back to your dorm if you don't need it?"
His eyes were no longer indifferent — just the slightest crease of worry.
