He Took Her To The Lake We Promised To See Together Chapter 07

He Took Her To The Lake We Promised To See Together Chapter 07

During my first week on the project, I was out early and back late almost every day.

By day, I followed conservators into the historic sites to document historic murals. At night, I organized the footage and project files, often working past midnight.

The work was exhausting, but no one treated my effort like something they were entitled to.

The footage I shot was credited to me. The plans I proposed were discussed seriously.

Even when boxed lunches were ordered, Rachel made a point of reminding everyone, “Emma’s

stomach is sensitive. Save her something plain.”

None of those things should have felt extraordinary.

Still, it took me days to get used to them.

On Friday afternoon, the project team gathered for its first full team photo.

Out of habit, I reached for the camera.

“I’ll take it.”

Rachel immediately handed the camera back to the photographer.

“You’re part of the team too. Get in here.”

She pulled me into the middle of the group.

When the shutter clicked, everyone was in the frame.

No one was left out, and no one had to stand behind the camera to preserve everyone else’s

memories.

My professor soon posted the picture in our university group chat.

The caption read:

[The Southwest Heritage Imaging Project is officially underway. Special thanks to Emma Parker for joining the team on short notice.]

Messages of congratulations filled the chat almost immediately.

Back in Boston, the studio’s client pitch had just ended.

Ethan had

gone in unprepared, and the client pointed out more than a dozen problems on the spot.

“We chose your studio because of the visual strategy Emma Parker developed,” the client said.

“Now your core lead is gone, and you can’t even produce a complete proposal. There’s no reason for us to continue this project.”

The client stood and walked out.

The conference room door slammed shut.

Mason threw the documents onto the table.

“Emma went way too far. She knew how important this project was, and she still kept the final proposal from us on purpose.”

One of the business partners gave him a cold look.

“Before she left, she handed over every existing file. She didn’t take clients with her, and she didn’t leak anything.”

“The unfinished work was ours to complete in the first place.”

“What did you expect? For her to quit and still stay up all night cleaning up after you?”

Mason had no answer.

Sophie sat in the corner and spoke quietly.

“Maybe I can try. I watched Emma work on proposals a few times.”

Ethan pushed the laptop toward her.

“Then finish it.”

Less than half an hour later, Sophie’s eyes were already red with frustration.

She couldn’t make sense of the budget sheet or organize the production schedule. She didn’t even know how to address the client’s requested revisions.

“This is too technical,” she said, biting her lip.

“Emma always made it look so easy.”

Ethan stared at the mess on the screen and found himself growing increasingly irritated.

Before every meeting, I used to organize the workflow, flag the key points, and list every question

the client might ask.

he had to do was follow what I’d prepared, and everyone praised him for it.

After a while, even he started believing it really was that easy.

His phone buzzed.

The project team’s photo had appeared in the university group chat.

Ethan spotted me in the center immediately.

I was wearing gray work clothes with my project ID badge clipped to my chest. The high desert stretched wide behind me, and I didn’t look the least bit worn down after leaving Boston.

He stared at the photo for a long time, his face gradually darkening.

Mason leaned over and froze.

“She went to Red Mesa?”

Sophie looked just as stunned.

“When did she apply for that project?”

Ethan didn’t answer.

He suddenly remembered something I’d asked him a month earlier.

“If I had to leave for a year, would you wait for me?”

At the time, he’d been answering Sophie’s messages and hadn’t even looked up.

“No.”

“Long-distance relationships don’t work. Don’t make things complicated for no reason.”

I’d gone quiet for a few seconds, then said, “Okay.”

That was when it hit him: I’d already had the invitation back then.

Ethan called me immediately.

The phone rang for a long time before I answered.

“When are you coming back?”

His first words still sounded like an accusation.

“When the project ends.”

“A year?”

“Yeah.”

Ethan gave a humorless laugh.

“Emma Parker, you’re throwing away your career plans just to punish me?”

The wind outside the historic sites was strong. I tightened my grip on the phone.

“This is my job.”

“What about the studio?”

“I already left.

“What about our apartment?”

“The key is at the hotel.”

My calm finally seemed to make him angry.

“You really think going to New Mexico erases the last four years?”

I looked at the desert ridges burning gold in the sunset.

“Ethan, I’m not the one who tried to erase the past.

Six months earlier, when he’d started dating Sophie, he had already put an end to our four years

together.

The other end of the line went completely silent.

A few seconds later, he asked in a low voice, “What do you mean?”

I didn’t explain.

“I have work to do.”

I ended the call, put my phone on silent, and followed the team into the heritage chamber.

Ethan stared at the disconnected screen and, for the first time, thought back to that night at

Moonsea Lake.

The bridge had been packed that night.

Had I really not been there?

He grabbed his coat, his voice hard.

“Book me a flight to Red Mesa tomorrow.”

Mason blinked.

“You’re going after her?”

Ethan put away his phone.

“We need to settle the project and the apartment face-to-face. She’s coming back with me.”

Even then, he was certain that if he showed up in person, I would follow him home the way I always

had before.

What he didn’t know was that I wasn’t waiting around for him anymore.