The Game Where I Lost My Last Finger And Him Chapter 09

The Game Where I Lost My Last Finger And Him Chapter 09

That feeling was like having someone quietly hold an umbrella 

over me. 

Not like Ethan, who left me standing in the rain, waiting for him to turn back. Caleb was simply there. 

That Saturday, Ethan came to South Coast again. 

For three years, he had grown used to traveling twelve hours to the city he once hated. 

He had walked through every corner of South Coast University, stood beneath my dorm, waited outside the academic building, and watched from outside the library. 

Not once had he managed to see me. 

This time, he went to the boba shop outside campus. 

Through the glass window, he saw me. 

I was sitting by the window, and Caleb reached over to wipe the milk foam from the corner of my mouth. I did not pull 

away. 

Then someone stormed in. 

It was Ethan. His eyes were red as he grabbed Caleb by the 

collar. 

“Who the hell are you?” 

Before Caleb could even react, Ethan punched him in the face. 

The drinks tipped over, cups hit the floor, and milk tea spilled 

everywhere. 

“Ethan! What are you doing?” I screamed, jumping to my feet. 

He ignored me and threw another punch. 

After taking two hits, Caleb finally snapped out of it and hit back. 

The two of them grappled with each other, knocking over tables and chairs. 

I tried to pull them apart, but I was shoved aside. 

Someone called the police. 

The lights at the police station were harsh and white, bright enough to make my eyes ache. 

Ethan’s mouth was split open, and Caleb had a bruise around one eye. 

Both of them looked battered as they sat on opposite sides of the room. 

After we gave our statements, the officer asked whether we wanted to press charges or resolve it privately. 

Ethan answered first. “I’m not settling.” 

I finally lifted my head, exhaustion heavy in my eyes. 

“Ethan, are you done making a scene?” 

“Making a scene?” 

He stared at me, his eyes bloodshot. 

“Audrey, you got together with someone else, and you 

couldn’t even tell me?” 

“Why would I tell you?” 

“Because I…” 

“Because what?” 

I stood up, my voice trembling. 

“Because what are you to me? Weren’t you with Chloe? Didn’t you say you had nothing to do with me?” 

“I was never with her. Never.” 

He almost shouted it. 

“Audrey, you were always the one I loved.” 

The police station went quiet for a moment. 

Tears slipped down my face as I faced him. 

“Ethan, don’t you think it’s a little too late to say that now?” 

“It’s not too late. Audrey, it’s not.” 

“It is.” 

I wiped away my tears. 

“It was too late when I was drenched with a bucket of cold water and you stood there smiling.” 

“It was too late when you gave Chloe the good–luck pendant.” 

“It was too late when you told me, in front of everyone, that if I was innocent, it would speak for itself.” 

“Ethan, you’re three years too late.” 

His lips parted, but no words came out. 

I turned around and took Caleb’s hand. 

“Let’s go.” 

Ethan chased us to the door, but someone stopped him. 

01.00% 

He stood outside the police station and watched Caleb and me get into a cab. 

Through the rearview mirror, I saw him crouch down and bury his face against his knees. 

Only later did I find out that his father had rushed over from our hometown overnight and stayed outside the police station with him for a long time. 

The year I graduated, I went back to my hometown. 

After the interview, written assessment, background check, and physical, everything went smoothly, and I landed a coveted position in city government. 

I worked nine to five, had dinner with Dad on weekends, and video–called Caleb from time to time. 

He had gone to another city for grad school. We were more than six hundred miles apart, but every night, we still said good night. 

Life settled into something gentle and steady, warm without burning, calm without going cold. 

Occasionally, I would run into Ethan. 

Our hometown was only so big. The grocery store, the corner of a street, a red light at an intersection. 

He had lost a lot of weight. His jawline looked sharper now, and there were always dark shadows beneath his eyes.