chapter 24

If You Ever Give Me a Chance.....

Judith wasn't expecting Ethan when she arrived home that Friday evening.

She was exhausted.

A board meeting had lasted nearly four hours.

Two investors had argued over numbers.

One executive had somehow turned a fifteen-minute presentation into an hour-long discussion.

And to make matters worse, her back hurt.

Apparently pregnancy came with a new inconvenience every week.

At this point, she was beginning to suspect the baby was taking revenge for something.

"You're talking to yourself again."

Judith looked up.

Ethan was sitting on the terrace, drinking coffee.

She stopped walking.

"What are you doing here?"

"Your mother invited me."

"Why?"

Ethan thought about it.

"Free food?"

Judith laughed.

"At least you're honest you freeloader"

Dinner was surprisingly pleasant.

The entire Lux family was present.

Richard discussed business.

Eleanor discussed baby names.

Julian threatened to veto every baby name suggested.

Ava arrived uninvited and somehow stayed for dessert.

Everything felt normal.

Comfortable.

Like family.

And for a few hours, Judith forgot about complicated emotions and uncertain futures.

After dinner, most of the family moved inside.

Judith stayed behind on the terrace.

The evening air felt nice against her skin.

A few minutes later, Ethan joined her.

Neither spoke immediately.

The silence wasn't awkward.

It never was.

The moon reflected softly against the lake beyond the gardens.

For a while they simply sat there enjoying the quiet.

Then Ethan spoke.

"Can I ask you something?"

Judith glanced toward him.

"When have you ever waited for permission?"

"Fair point."

A smile tugged at her lips.

Ethan stared out at the water.

His expression had become unusually serious.

Which immediately got Judith's attention.

Because Ethan was rarely serious.

At least around her.

"What is it?"

He exhaled slowly.

Then laughed once.

A nervous laugh.

The sound surprised her.

"Ethan?"

"You know, I had a whole speech prepared."

Judith blinked.

"A speech?"

"Yeah."

"What happened to it?"

"I forgot half of it."

Now she was definitely curious.

For a few moments, Ethan remained silent.

Then he turned toward her.

And suddenly Judith understood.

Not because of his words.

Because of the way he was looking at her.

Carefully.

Honestly.

The way someone looks at a person they care about far too much.

"Oh."

Ethan laughed softly.

"Yeah. Oh."

The realization settled between them.

Neither rushed to fill the silence.

Neither pretended not to understand.

Because they were both adults.

And because denying it now would be pointless.

"I've loved you for a long time, Judith."

The confession was simple.

No dramatic speech.

No grand declaration.

Just the truth.

Raw and uncomplicated.

Judith looked down at her hands.

For some reason, her chest felt tight.

And it was not because she was shocked.

A small part of her had known.

Maybe not consciously.

But she had known.

The signs had always been there.

The support.

The patience.

The way Ethan never asked for more than she could give.

"When did you realize?"

Her voice came out softer than expected.

Ethan smiled.

"When we were nineteen."

Judith stared at him.

"Nineteen?"

"Don't look so surprised."

"You've been suffering for a decade?"

"I prefer the word devoted."

She laughed despite herself.

The sound eased some of the tension between them.

Ethan smiled.

God, he loved hearing her laugh.

Especially after everything she'd been through.

Especially after watching her spend years loving someone else.

"You don't have to say anything."

His voice grew gentler.

"I'm not telling you because I expect something in return."

Judith looked at him and believed him immediately.

Because that was Ethan.

He wasn't trying to pressure her.

Or guilt trap her or even force a decision.

"I just got tired of pretending."

The honesty in his voice made her heart ache.

"After the divorce, everyone assumed I was waiting for my opportunity."

A small smile appeared.

"They weren't entirely wrong."

Judith looked away.

Toward the dark garden.

Toward anywhere except his eyes.

Because looking at him made this harder.

Much harder.

Ethan leaned back in his chair.

"If one day you wake up and decide you could love me..."

He paused.

Choosing his words carefully.

"I'll be here."

The simplicity nearly broke her heart.

Not because she loved him.

Because she knew he deserved someone who loved him back just as fiercely.

For a long moment, neither spoke.

Then Judith finally turned toward him.

Her eyes were honest.

Just as honest as his had been.

"Ethan..."

He smiled immediately.

"You don't have to explain."

"But—"

"You don't love me."

The words weren't bitter.

They weren't angry.

They were simply true.

Judith's chest tightened.

Because hearing it aloud hurt more than she expected.

"I care about you."

Ethan nodded.

"I know."

"More than you realize."

"I know that too."

The smile he gave her was gentle.

Warm.

And a little sad.

"But caring and loving aren't always the same thing."

The truth of those words lingered between them.

Neither could deny it.

Eventually Ethan stood.

The conversation had reached its natural end.

Before leaving, he looked at her one last time.

And smiled.

Not the smile of a man giving up.

The smile of a man being honest.

Finally.

"I meant what I said."

Judith swallowed.

"Ethan..."

"If you ever give me a chance," he said softly, "I promise I'll never make you wonder where you stand with me."

The words stayed with her long after he walked away.

Later that night, Judith lay awake in bed.

Sleep refused to come.

Her mind kept replaying the conversation.

Not because Ethan had surprised her.

Because he hadn't.

Because his confession forced her to confront a difficult truth.

Ethan represented safety.

Consistency.

Trust.

Everything she had wanted from Liam.

Everything Liam had failed to give her for years.

So why was her heart still looking in the wrong direction?

Why did it still hurt when Liam smiled at another woman?

Why did it still race when he looked at her a certain way?

Why, after everything, was she still not over him?

Judith closed her eyes.

Frustrated.

Confused.

And completely unaware that across the city, Liam Smith was sitting in his study, staring at a photograph from one of the baby appointments and wondering how much time he had left before Ethan Blackwood became impossible to compete with.