Harborvale always got a few fierce windstorms before winter.
I went to the seawall to return the ring box Ethan had left beside the moving truck. When I arrived, he was removing the nameplate from the apartment door across the street.
His lease wasn't over yet, but he was already packing.
When he saw me, he stepped forward, then stopped himself.
"I'm leaving tomorrow."
I held out the ring box.
"Why?"
"You said you didn't want to see me."
He took the box without opening it.
"I used to think that if I did enough, you'd eventually forgive me. Then I realized that making sure you saw how much I'd changed was just another way of pressuring you."
Two suitcases stood by the door.
The toolbox he had bought to fix the window screen was there too.
He followed my gaze.
"I'm leaving the t
