She’s the Obstacle, He’s the Hero, I’m Just the Plot They’re Skipping Chapter 08

She’s the Obstacle, He’s the Hero, I’m Just the Plot They’re Skipping Chapter 08

I’d asked the facility not to mention the trial to Ethan. I hadn’t thought to tell Arthur.

Arthur leaned toward the screen, waving.

“Hey, man — I work here!”

Ethan ignored him completely.

“Is he a caregiver? Why is he just walking into your room without knocking?”

I didn’t know what to say.

Guilt makes you do stupid things without thinking. The lilac petals were still in Arthur’s hair, and before I knew what I was doing, I leaned in and blew them away.

There was a sharp, cracking sound on Ethan’s end of the call.

Arthur glanced at the screen and flinched.

“Uh, Olivia? The guy on your phone looks like he’s about to kill someone.”

I looked over. Ethan’s face was murderous.

The second he caught me looking, he forced a smile. It looked more like a grimace.

Arthur gave the camera his best easy grin.

“My hands were full with this huge vase. Couldn’t exactly knock.”

“We usually knock, for the record.”

“But Olivia and I go way back now. She doesn’t mind.”

On the screen, Ethan’s eyes narrowed.

“You knew each other before?”

I remembered the doctor mentioning that Arthur was the one who’d first reached out to me online. So technically, yes — we had.

I nodded.

Ethan looked like he had more to say.

Arthur glanced at the clock.

“Olivia, it’s time for you to rest. Want to lie down?”

I mumbled a quick goodbye to Ethan and hung up.

Then I let out a long breath.

After my evening checkup, I thought about what Ethan had said. I asked Arthur about the entertainment.

He pulled out a brochure and handed it to me.

“There’s actually a show tonight. Want to check it out?”

He turned the brochure toward me.

I looked, and my eyebrows shot up.

Arthur smiled.

“Luxury facility. Of course they keep things interesting.”

I flipped through the brochure, and my eyes caught on a performer who looked enough like Ethan to make my stomach turn.

“What are you looking at?”

I wasn’t about to admit that, so I pointed at a different guy instead.

“This one kind of looks like you.”

“Really?”

He took the brochure back, held it up beside his face, and raised an eyebrow at me.

I studied the comparison.

“Well… you’ve got the fangs. That makes you cuter.”

Something hit the floor near the doorway with a clatter.

We both looked up.

Ethan was standing in the doorway. I had no idea how long he’d been standing there.