Chapter 20: You Don’t Get Me Anymore
677 Words
Chapter 20: You Don’t Get Me Anymore
The gates closed behind him.
Ethan stepped into the estate slowly, his eyes scanning the surroundings.
It was just as imposing as before.
But this time—
It felt different.
Not distant.
Not unfamiliar.
Unforgiving.
He walked inside, his steps steady but his mind anything but calm.
Because this wasn’t a business meeting.
This wasn’t control.
This was something else entirely.
The doors opened.
And there she was.
Amara stood near the window again.
The same place.
The same calm presence.
But everything else—
Had changed.
She didn’t turn immediately.
Didn’t acknowledge him.
Didn’t rush.
She let him stand there.
Wait.
Feel it.
Finally—
She spoke.
“You’ve been waiting.”
Her voice was calm.
Unbothered.
Ethan let out a slow breath.
“Yes.”
She turned then.
Slowly.
Meeting his gaze.
No warmth.
No softness.
Just distance.
“You shouldn’t have,” she said.
The words landed quietly.
But they carried weight.
“I needed to see you,” he replied.
Her brow lifted slightly.
“Why?”
A simple question.
But it stopped him.
Because for the first time—
He didn’t have an easy answer.
“…Because I was wrong,” he said finally.
Silence.
She didn’t react.
Didn’t soften.
Didn’t move.
“I know,” she said.
The simplicity of it—
Cut deeper than anything else.
Ethan took a step closer.
“This isn’t how it’s supposed to end,” he said.
Her gaze sharpened slightly.
“Who said it ended?”
That caught him off guard.
But before he could respond—
She continued.
“You made a choice,” she said calmly. “And now you’re dealing with the result.”
“I can fix it.”
The words came quickly.
Too quickly.
Amara smiled.
Not kindly.
Not gently.
Cold.
“No,” she said.
Ethan’s jaw tightened.
“You keep saying that,” he said. “But you won’t even give me the chance—”
“I gave you chances.”
Her voice cut through his words.
Sharp.
Controlled.
“More than you deserved,” she added.
Silence fell.
Heavy.
Because he knew—
She wasn’t wrong.
“You don’t get to come back now,” she continued, her voice lower. “Not after everything.”
Ethan’s chest tightened.
“I didn’t know,” he said.
“And that’s supposed to excuse it?”
Her question hit instantly.
“No,” he admitted.
Because it didn’t.
For a moment—
Neither of them spoke.
The distance between them felt larger than it actually was.
“I meant what I said,” Ethan added. “I want to make this right.”
Amara looked at him.
Really looked at him.
And for a brief second—
Something flickered in her eyes.
Not softness.
Recognition.
Then—
It disappeared.
“You can’t,” she said simply.
His breath stilled.
“Why not?”
Because this—
This mattered.
Amara stepped closer.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Until she stood right in front of him.
Close enough to feel the shift.
“You don’t get me anymore.”
The words were quiet.
But final.
Ethan froze.
Because that—
That wasn’t anger.
That wasn’t rejection.
That was truth.
“You lost that,” she continued softly. “The moment you chose not to believe me.”
Silence.
And there it was.
The line.
The point of no return.
Ethan looked at her—
And for the first time—
He understood.
This wasn’t something he could control.
This wasn’t something he could fix with effort.
This was something he had already broken.
And she had already walked away from.
Amara stepped back.
The distance returning instantly.
“You should go,” she said.
No hesitation.
No doubt.
Just decision.
Ethan didn’t move immediately.
Because leaving—
Felt heavier than staying.
But in the end—
He turned.
Because for once—
There was nothing left to say.
And nothing left to fight.
The door closed behind him.
And this time—
Amara didn’t look back.
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