The Savior He Never Knew

"Nora, what was that look supposed to mean?"

The harvest bonfire had just burned down, and the crowd hadn't gone far.

Ethan Caldwell stood in the shadow of the old locust tree, an unlit cigarette between his fingers.

I stopped and looked back at him.

"Nothing."

He took two steps closer, frowning slightly.

"Chloe scares easily. Don't use that passive-aggressive attitude to frighten her."

I looked at his tailored suit.

It was impossible to match him with the boy in ragged clothes who used to follow me around crying.

"I haven't said a single word to her."

I lowered my eyes to my left leg. It had never healed straight.

Ethan followed my gaze.

A flicker of irritation crossed his face, so faint it was almost invisible.

"I know your family's struggling."

He took a bank card from the inside pocket of his suit and held it out to me.

"There's seventy thousand dollars on this. The PIN is six zeros. That's enough for you to live comfortably in this village for the rest of your life."

I didn't take it. I just looked at the card.

"Ethan, do you really think seventy thousand dollars is what I'm missing?"

"I don't know what you're missing. I just don't want Chloe carrying this around on her conscience."

He forced the card into my hand.

"She's got a good heart. She knows we knew each other as kids, and she worries you're not doing well."

His tone was flat, but every word drew a line between us.

I set the card on the stone table beside us.

"Take it back. I don't need it."

His face darkened.

"Nora, that's enough to feed your whole family for years.

"Don't get greedy."

I looked at his self-righteous face and suddenly found it almost funny.

Back then, the traffickers had starved him for three days.

I broke the only honey cake my family had in two and gave him half.

He lost the other half while we were running, and Chloe found it.

Now, to hear him tell it, I was some old flame who couldn't stop dreaming about him.

"I said I don't need it."

I turned to leave.

"Stop right there."

His voice came from behind me, edged with warning.

"I don't care what's going on in your head. Chloe's throwing our engagement party here in the village tomorrow, so you'd better behave.

"If I hear you've been filling her head with stories..."

He paused, and his voice turned cold.

"I'll make sure you can't stay here anymore."

I stopped. The night wind swept through the old locust tree, and its leaves rustled.

"Don't worry."

I didn't turn around.

"I won't say a thing."

Ethan seemed satisfied with how easily I'd given in.

He took an elegant paper box from his pocket and set it next to the bank card on the stone table.

"Chloe went out of her way to bring this lavender shortbread from the city. I bet you've never had anything this nice.

"Take it. Don't say I forgot where I came from."

Then he turned and walked toward the black Maybach parked at the edge of the village.

Chloe was standing by the car. The moment she saw him coming, she threw herself into his arms.

Ethan gently stroked her hair and opened the car door for her.

I looked at the fancy box on the table.

He remembered that Chloe loved sweets, but he'd forgotten that I couldn't eat them anymore.

Back then, I'd needed every cent to buy him fever medicine.

So I lived on spoiled leftovers for a month, and my stomach never recovered.

I tossed the box into the trash can beside the table and dragged my bad leg home, one step at a time.