Chapter 140 – Amara's POV
Six months.
It had been six months since Arya's wedding — six months of blissful peace for her, six months of lingering confusion for me.
I should be happy too. I wanted to be. My sister-in-law had finally gotten the fairy tale ending she deserved, and I… I had Ethan. Or, I used to.
Now, I wasn't so sure.
I sat on the balcony of my apartment, the early evening breeze brushing against my skin as I stared out at the darkening sky. The city moved on below me — people rushing home, laughing, headlights flickering — yet my world had slowed to a strange, painful crawl.
Ethan hadn't texted me all day.
Again.
I pulled my knees to my chest, biting my lower lip as I scrolled through our last few chats. They had gone from long late-night conversations to short replies, some even left on "read."
Busy today.
Meeting ran long.
Talk later.
Except later never came.
My fingers hovered over the keyboard.
"Are we okay?"
"Did I do something?"
"I miss you."
I sighed and locked my phone instead.
I wasn't going to beg for attention. Not from someone who used to give it so freely. I still remembered when Ethan would call just to hear my voice before bed. When he'd sneak into my apartment late at night with takeout and kiss my forehead like I was something fragile.
He had once looked at me like I was magic.
But now... something had changed.
I tried not to spiral. Maybe work really had gotten overwhelming. He was a CEO, after all. Running multiple companies was no joke.
Still, that didn't explain the distance in his eyes the last time we saw each other.
I had met him for lunch just last week — or rather, I had shown up at his office because I couldn't take the silence anymore. He had smiled, kissed my cheek, and said he was happy to see me. But even as he held my hand across the table, his mind felt… somewhere else.
Worse, his touch felt calculated. Like he was keeping me close out of obligation — not love.
A soft knock interrupted my thoughts. I turned, hopeful for a second, then opened the door to see Arya holding Hope, bundled and smiling.
"Thought you might need some company," she said gently, walking in.
I blinked quickly, brushing my fingers across my eyes. "How'd you know?"
She gave me a knowing look as she settled Hope on the couch. "Because I've been where you are. And because you haven't looked like yourself in weeks."
I exhaled slowly. "It's Ethan."
"I figured," she said softly, taking a seat beside me. "Want to talk?"
"I don't know what to say." My voice cracked. "He's… distant. I don't know what I did. I mean, we were good. So good. Then out of nowhere he's suddenly cold, distracted. Like he's pulling away without actually saying it."
Arya reached out and squeezed my hand. "Have you told him how you feel?"
"I tried. I asked if everything was okay and he just said he's been stressed with work." I swallowed hard. "But it feels deeper than that. Like he's scared to be with me."
Arya looked thoughtful. "Do you think it's about what happened before? About how you met?"
I looked away. "You mean the one-night stand we never talked about?"
She didn't answer. She didn't have to.
I stared out the balcony again, voice barely above a whisper. "I wonder if that's all I'll ever be to him. A mistake. Something that wasn't supposed to happen. Maybe now that the excitement is gone… he doesn't want me anymore."
Arya was quiet for a moment. Then she spoke carefully. "You deserve someone who won't make you question how loved you are, Amara. And if he's not that person, maybe it's better you find out now than later."
The truth of it stung.
"I know," I murmured. "But… I love him, Arya. I really do."
"And that's okay," she said. "But love shouldn't leave you anxious every night. It shouldn't make you feel small."
Hope made a soft cooing sound, her little fists stretching above her head as if in protest of the heaviness in the room. Arya smiled down at her daughter and lifted her gently.
"Want to hold her?" she asked.
I nodded, taking the Hope into my arms. Her warmth settled something aching inside me. Hope looked up at me with wide, innocent eyes, and I smiled for the first time all day.
"You know," Arya said, "when I was in that hospital bed and thought Damon would never come back to me, I swore I'd never beg for someone to love me again. I'd walk away before I let that happen."
I held Hope closer. "I'm scared."
"I know. But you're stronger than you think, Amara. And no matter what happens, you're not alone. You have me. You have Liam. You have Damon." Her voice softened. "And if Ethan truly loves you, he'll fight for you — not leave you guessing."
I looked down at the baby girl in my arms, then at Arya, and nodded.
"I think I need to talk to him. Really talk. No hiding."
Arya smiled. "That's my girl."
Later that night, after they'd left, I picked up my phone again. I stared at his name for a long while.
Then I typed:
"Ethan… can we talk? I need to know if we're still on the same page. Please don't shut me out."
And for the first time in a long while, I didn't wait for him to reply before I stood tall, breathed deep — and reminded myself that no matter what he said, I would be okay.