I’m going with you
1515 Words
Ariana pov
After the less-than-pleasant episode with my mom, we walked back into the dining room, pretending as if nothing had happened between us.
Although, I wasn’t sure if I was doing a very good job at it.
The dinner was still ongoing, the room filled with the rich, mouthwatering aroma of the feast laid out before us.
Roast chicken glazed with lemon and herbs sat at the center of the table, surrounded by bowls of creamy garlic mashed potatoes, buttery asparagus, honey-glazed carrots, wild rice pilaf, and a platter of seared salmon drizzled with dill sauce.
As we took our seats, Mrs. Vivian smiled and turned toward my mother.
“Since the wedding is the day after tomorrow, would you be staying over?” she asked pleasantly.
“No,” my mother replied, her voice cool. “I really have something important I need to do.”
Mrs. Vivian nodded, then turned her attention to me.
“Ariana has always been such a strong girl. I think she’ll manage just fine on her own.”
I forced a small, polite smile, my hands tightening slightly around my fork.
“And Ethan,” Mrs. Vivian continued, “I’ll also be staying at Linda’s place until the wedding. I want to give you youngsters some time alone.”
I heard Ethan grunt softly in response, but I didn’t dare look at him.
Then Mrs. Vivian’s eyes scanned the room again, and she frowned slightly.
“And also,” she said, her tone lighter, “why haven’t I seen Jared around?”
I felt my entire body freeze the moment she said his name, I don’t know why my body is reacting to his name like this.
I can’t seem to make myself forget our last conversation.
I could feel Ethan’s gaze burn into me, sharp and heavy, but I kept my eyes stubbornly on my plate.
“He had an emergency at the hospital,” I heard Ethan say, “That’s why he couldn’t make it to dinner.”
“Oh, that’s sad,” Mrs. Vivian said, her frown deepening.
“I was hoping I’d get to see him.”
“And how’s the company, Ethan?” Mrs. Vivian asked warmly. “I hope you aren’t stressing yourself out too much.”
Ethan suddenly started coughing, harsh and rough.
I immediately turned to him, concern tightening my chest.
It seemed he hadn’t gotten himself treated after all.
After a few moments and a sip of water, he straightened and gave his mother a small smile.
“The company’s fine, Mom. Everything’s going well.”
“And the hospital?” she pressed gently.
“Yeah, Mom,” Ethan said, his voice still slightly hoarse. “It’s being managed well.”
“Hospital?” I blurted out, startled, looking between them.
I must have looked completely lost, because Mrs. Linda and Emma exchanged a quick, knowing glance.
Emma leaned forward slightly, a smirk playing at her lips.
“Oh, you didn’t know?” she said .“The hospital you were working at belongs to the Coles.”
I blinked, heat rushing to my cheeks.
“I didn’t… I mean,” I stumbled, “I thought it was just a family-run hospital. I guess… I never really thought much about it.”
Emma gave a little mocking laugh, like she found my ignorance amusing ,looking far too pleased with herself.
“It’s not just the hospital,” she said, her voice full of fake sweetness. “The Coles own the whole healthcare network. Hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, research labs…”
“And that’s just a small part of it,” she added, her smile sharpening. “They’re involved in banking, real estate, tech, even luxury goods. Pretty much anything worth owning, they have a hand in.”
I blinked, stunned into silence.
Linda looked at Emma with open pride, like she couldn’t have said it better herself.
Mrs. Vivian simply smiled tightly, her eyes gleaming with something I couldn’t quite place.
I suddenly felt very small sitting there—like I had walked straight into a world that had been rigged against me all along.
I was starting to seriously rethink my decision about going back to work after marriage.
How would I ever be able to rest, knowing I married the literal owner of the hospital?
No wonder Jared was so well respected.
I suddenly felt like a complete i***t for not realizing it sooner.
“Thanks for inviting us over, dear,” Mrs. Vivian said warmly, standing up. “I think it’s time for us to go.”
She turned to me with a kind smile.
“But I’ll be back for the wedding, of course. I think you’ll make a lovely bride.”
My mom rose from her seat too, smoothing her dress.
“I think we’ll take our leave as well,” she said, smiling graciously.
“Oh and dad,” I added quickly, “I’ll be coming over tomorrow evening to get a few things from the house.”
“Of course, honey. You’re always welcome,” dad said, touching my arm briefly.
Soon, we were escorting them to the front of the house, exchanging polite hugs and goodbyes.
The second the door closed behind them, I let out a long breath I hadn’t even realized I was holding.
“Have I ever told you that you have a very interesting family?,” I heard Ethan say behind me, his voice filled with teasing amusement.
“Uhm, well, no, you’ve never told me that,” I muttered, brushing a stray curl from my face.
He walked closer, a rare warmth in his eyes.
“It seems my mom loves you very much,” he said as we stepped back into the house.
“I had no idea she was your mom,” I admitted, pulling a rubber band from my pocket and gathering my hair into a messy ponytail.
Before I could finish, Ethan was suddenly in front of me.
Without a word, he reached out and gently tugged the rubber band free, letting my hair tumble down around my shoulders.
“Your hair looks better when it’s down,” he said softly.
My cheeks flushed a deep shade of pink under his intense gaze.
“Well… okay,” I said awkwardly, smiling a little. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“And also,” he added, his lips twitching into a smirk, “you didn’t trip today. I must say, I commend your exceptional effort.”
“Ethan!” I gasped, laughing and smacking his shoulder lightly.
He chuckled, and for a moment, it felt like there was no weight between us—just something light and easy.
I hesitated, gathering my courage.
“Uhm… I—I actually wanted to ask you something,” I said, my voice smaller than I intended.
“Who is Cassandra?” I asked, biting my lower lip nervously.
Ethan didn’t answer right away. He just stared at me, his eyes unreadable.
“I’m sorry if I’m not supposed to ask,” I rushed to say, feeling awkward under his gaze. “But I heard her name quite a lot today… and I was curious.”
He leaned in slightly, his voice low.
“Cassandra isn’t someone you need to worry about, Ariana.”
Then, to my utter horror and confusion, he reached out and tilted my chin up with his thumb, forcing me to meet his eyes.
“Or,” he said with a slow, teasing smirk, “are you slipping into your wifely role already? Is someone jealous?”
I don’t know why, but my lips suddenly felt dry, and I had to stop myself from nervously licking them.
“No,” I whispered, my voice thinner than I wanted. “Just… curious.”
“Don’t worry about Cassandra,” he murmured, his thumb brushing lightly across my chin before he dropped his hand. “Just focus on being a beautiful bride.”
My heart was racing wildly, and I blurted out the next thing without thinking.
“Why are you being nice?”
For a second, Ethan just smiled faintly, almost… fondly.
“Well,” he said, “it wouldn’t hurt to show a bit of kindness after what you went through today.”
My eyes widened slightly.
What does that mean?
Did he know?
Had he overheard what happened between me and my mother?
Before I could gather the courage to ask, he spoke again, casually tossing another bomb at me.
“And I’m excited about those special books you said you wanted to pick up tomorrow,” he said, a teasing glint in his eyes. “I’ll be going with you.”
My cheeks instantly heated up.
He hadn’t forgotten our conversation earlier, the one about me wanting to pick up some of my books from home.
“I—no—it’s okay, I’ll just go on my own,” I stammered, feeling flustered.
Ethan just chuckled, shaking his head.
“No. Don’t worry, Ariana. I’m going with you.”
- Writer
