The Ice-Cold General Learned Regret in the Language of Roses Novel

Chapter 21 Whose was it ? A roommate's , maybe - or some other guy's ? Had she actually moved in with someone ? The thought slid into his mind like a venomous snake and set fire to what little reason he had left . Jealousy burned through Ethan so hot that his vision went red , and it took everything he had not to charge upstairs , kick that door in , and see for himself which man had slipped so easily into her private world . He clenched his fists so hard that his nails dug deep into his palms , the pain the back the urge to tear everything apart. What right did he have ?

barely holding He was just an ex - husband now , the ex - husband who'd hurt her worse than anyone and disgusted her more than anyone - what right did he have to question anything about her life ? The helplessness and pain that came with that realization felt like they were ripping him in half . He couldn't let it go , though , and eventually he found out that Scarlett and her friends liked to meet for dinner at a small family - run diner downtown .

He got there early , chose an inconspicuous corner table , and ordered a pot of coffee he never even touched , his eyes locked on the front door . At last , Scarlett walked in with a few friends , talking and laughing . She was wearing a soft , pale yellow dress that made her skin look even brighter , her smile so vivid it lit up the dim little restaurant like a beam of light . Ethan's heart skipped a beat , and he shot to his feet almost without thinking , ready to go to her .

But Scarlett's gaze skimmed the room , and by sheer bad luck - or maybe ruthless fate - she met the heated , conflicted look in his eyes . The smile on her face froze and vanished without a trace , replaced in an instant by open irritation and ice - cold disdain . She didn't hesitate for even a second . She leaned toward her friends , said something quickly , and then turned and walked straight back out without so much as a backward glance . " Scarlett ! " Chapter 21 70.00 % Ethan forgot about everything else and bolted after her .

Sometime while he'd been sitting there , a light rain had started outside , misting the street in a thin , chilly veil . He caught up to Scarlett in a few long strides and grabbed her wrist on the wet sidewalk . " Scarlett , just listen to me . Five minutes - no , three . Three minutes , that's all I'm asking . " His voice came out hoarse and ragged from the rush and the rain . Scarlett ripped her hand out of his grip so hard he actually stumbled . She whirled around , rain streaking through her hair and down her cheeks , but her eyes were colder than the autumn drizzle .

She lifted her hand and , before Ethan could even react , put everything she had i face . Smack . The sharp crack of it cut through the sound of the rain . A red handprint bloomed across his cheek , hot and stinging . His head snapped to the side , and he went rigid . tal slap across his Scarlett's chest was heaving , clearly just as furious as he was desperate . She pointed a shaking finger at his face and let loose , her voice trembling with rage . " Ethan , do you really think I can't survive without you ?

That just because I once threw my pride away to marry you , I'm nothing now that you're gone ? " " I'll spell it out for you . Without you , my life is incredible . Every breath I take is finally my own . Looking at you makes my skin crawl . Get out of my sight . Go back to Southport , to your sickly little Nora West . And stop clinging to me like some stray dog that won't let go . " Every word hit Ethan's heart like a knife driven straight in .

Rain slid down the hard lines of his face , mixing with the burning sting of that slap and the humiliation that came with it , leaving him looking more wrecked and hollow than he'd ever been . His mouth opened , searching for something - anything - to say , but his throat felt sealed shut , and nothing came out . All he could do was stand there and watch as Scarlett finished what she had to say , then turn away and walk off into the hazy curtain of rain like even one more glance at him would make her feel dirty .

The night before the delegation was scheduled to fly back home , Ethan received an urgent order from the Chapter 21 70.00 % States , demanding that he return with them the next day to handle critical military business . He knew this might be his last chance . One more time - and for the last time - he went to stand outside Scarlett's apartment building . It was late , the rain still falling in a soft , steady drizzle that carried a deep autumn chill . He tilted his head back , staring up at the warm , amber light glowing in her window like a lighthouse he would never reach .

He had no idea how long he stayed there , only that his legs went numb and the rain soaked through his coat , right down to his skin . 70.00 % admin