The Mighty Storm|| ethma

23

"Why won't you tell me where we're going?" I ask Ethan again, turning in my seat to face him.

He flickers a glance at me. "Because it's a surprise."

"Why is everything always a surprise with you?"

He slows the car to a stop at the red traffic light.

"Because I like seeing the look on your face when you discover what the surprise is." He reaches over and strokes my cheek with his fingers.

"You would still get the surprised look even if you told me you know – I'm great at surprised faces."

"Yeah, I'm sure you are," he chuckles. "But still, it just doesn't equal the look of seeing it in your eyes, as you see it for the first time."

Huh? Well now I'm just confused.

"Okay, so what if I told you I don't like surprises." I fold my arms across my chest.

"Well you haven't seemed to mind them so far," he says confidently, shifting the car back into drive as the light changes to green. "And you definitely didn't seem to mind the one I gave you earlier."

My cheeks instantly flush.

Memories of Ethan sneaking up behind me when I was in the bathroom, brushing my teeth, getting ready to come out tonight ... and then I was coming, but in a whole different way.

"Well, yeah I did like that one," I grin across at him, unfurling my arms.

"See surprises can be good." He takes hold of my hand and kisses it then rests it back down so he can signal his turn.

Earlier was amazing, but I think it was also Ethan's way of cushioning the blow, pardon the pun, because after we made love; he'd had some of those amazing cakes delivered as we never did get to go to the delicatessens, and while we were sat in bed feeding each other cake, he told me that the pictures of me and him leaving the Louvre had hit the tabloids in full colour glory telling the world we're together. They also know Ethan and I grew up together. That we used to live next-door to one another and had been best friends growing up.

So now the whole world knows pretty much everything about Ethan and I.

Except they don't know we had an affair.

They don't know I still had a boyfriend when we started seeing each other. They haven't locked onto that little piece of information, yet, and I hope they never do. For Will's sake as much as my own.

The word is that Ethan has found "the one". His girl next-door.

It's sweet, in an intrusive, weird kind of way.

Ethan was worried how I'd feel because of my privacy concerns, and because of how I had wanted to spare Will's feelings as much as possible.

I reassured him I was fine with it all. It was bound to hit the press one day, so sooner rather than later.

So now it's out, Ethan and I can get on with just enjoying one another.

I stare out through the heavily tinted window looking at Paris all around me. I feel like I'm the luckiest girl in the world to be with Ethan. To have him back in my life, and for us to finally be together.

And for him to love me back, like I've always loved him.

If only we'd told one another how we felt when we were younger, maybe we would never have lost touch. Maybe we would have always been together, and Ethan would never have had the drug problem and I would have been there for him when Jonny died.