The Illusion Of Us

CHAPTER 9

Ava lay sprawled on the sofa, her eyes repeatedly drifting to the clock as it inched towards two in the morning. The living room, dimly lit by a soft lamp, seemed to accentuate her growing unease. This had become her nightly ritual, waiting, as Ethan's recent pattern of coming home late gnawed at her. Each tick of the clock seemed to echo in the emptiness of the room, deepening the pit in her stomach, her mind tormented with thoughts of where Ethan might be.

The sound of a key in the lock snapped her out of her anxious reverie. Ethan stepped in, his footsteps resounding in the quiet room. Ava, her heart racing, sat up, attempting to cloak her worry with feigned nonchalance.

"Hey, you're late," she said softly, her voice laced with a weariness born of many such nights. "Was there an emergency at the hospital? Or maybe a last-minute surgery?"

Ethan, shrugging off his coat without meeting her gaze, replied casually, "Yeah, it was hectic. We had an unexpected situation in the ER. Just didn't stop all night."

Ava felt her heart sink. She knew he had left work hours ago, yet she desperately clung to the hope that her fears were unfounded. "That sounds intense. Must've been a really long night," she responded, struggling to keep her voice steady.

Ethan nodded, still avoiding her eyes. "It was. I'm beat. Sorry I didn't call, it was just non-stop."

A sharp pain gripped Ava's chest, her friend's earlier call echoing in her mind. They had seen Ethan and Violet together at the hotel where Violet was staying. She forced a smile, her hands clenched in her lap to hide her inner turmoil.

"I understand. You must be really exhausted," she said, her voice strained. "Do you need anything? Maybe something to eat, or a hot shower first?"

"No, I'll just head straight to bed. Thanks though," Ethan replied, his voice and demeanor distant, devoid of the warmth she longed for.

As he walked towards their bedroom, Ava was left alone on the sofa, the weight of his unspoken betrayal crushing her. She knew where he had been, and it wasn't at the hospital. The ease of his lies, the widening gap between them, it all overwhelmed her like a suffocating wave, leaving her submerged in a sea of heartache.

Ava was just about to drift off to sleep when the sudden light from Ethan's phone jolted her awake. Violet's name glared accusingly from the screen. Ava's first instinct was to ignore it, but the phone kept ringing insistently, and Ethan was fast asleep, oblivious.

Finally, with a mix of curiosity and a sinking feeling in her stomach, Ava picked up. "Ethan? Sorry, did I wake you?" Violet's voice was soft, almost cautious. "Ethan, are you there? Why aren't you talking?"

Ava stayed silent, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Oh, is Ava with you? That's okay, just listen then," Violet sighed, a hint of drama in her tone.

Then came the words that felt like a punch to Ava's gut. "I'm so happy we get to see each other every day, even if it's just for a little while. It reminds me of our college days, when we dated in secret because your dad didn't approve. I should never have left you because of him."

Ava's hand clutched at her chest, her breath catching in her throat.

Violet continued, now with a tearful edge to her voice. "I had no choice back then. Your dad threatened my scholarship, my future. But I regret it every day. Knowing you've forgiven me means the world to me, Ethan. You are my world."

Ava could barely breathe, the room spinning around her.

"And I know you're just waiting for the right time to break it off with Ava. I don't want to pressure you, but we've already lost six years. I can't lose any more time without you. Please, Ethan, leave Ava. Don't marry her. I love you, and I know deep down, you still love me."