I sat in the car, staring at the warehouse, my heart racing as I wondered what Christof and Ethan could be doing to poor Wayne. After a few minutes, Christof walked out, his eyes locking onto mine from the door with a smile. He approached me with an unsettling grin.
“Did you enjoy the show?” he asked, his wide grin only deepening. I glared at him, but that only made his smile grow wider.
“Your Ethan is a good actor, isn’t he?” Christof continued. I furrowed my brows, confused by his words. Why couldn’t he just get to the point? “What are you talking about?” I asked, frustration edging into my voice.
“He did say you were naive, but I didn’t think you were this naive,” Christof replied. Ethan thought I was naive?
“Come on, Emily, use your brain. Did you really think you had him at your mercy?” Christof’s voice dripped with condescension. “While you were planning ways to kill him, he was planning ways to kill you,” he added, and my heart skipped a beat. “I don’t understand,” I stammered.
Christof smiled, savoring the moment. “Ethan loves you, that’s undeniable. But did you think he didn’t love Gloria? Or Jake? All those people died, and despite his love for them, he moved on. I hope you didn’t think you were special.”
My stomach churned at his words. “Today, it would have been your and Wayne’s bodies on the floor if you hadn’t confessed in time,” Christof revealed. I wanted to believe he was lying, but the words “you are not special” echoed in my mind. He was right-I wasn’t special. There was no telling what else Ethan was capable of.
“Is Wayne dead?” I asked, my voice trembling. Christof laughed. “What do you think? Ethan enjoyed killing him,” he added, and my heart shattered. Ethan hadn’t even considered what I said about not forgiving him. How could he?
“I’m sure you’re here to say something. You’re not giving me all this information for free,” I stated, sensing that Christof was up to something. I wanted him to go straight to the point.
“Of course,” he replied casually. “I want you to leave Ethan.” Christof’s tone was clear and commanding. “You are a danger to Ethan in our line of business. If Ethan hadn’t figured out your plan or if I wasn’t involved, you could have caused so much trouble for me. Ethan is an asset to me and the others, and your foolishness might jeopardize that,” Christof said, confirming my suspicions.
“Listen, girl, you and Ethan have too many differences, and he’s not going to change. He can never change. You’re not worth it. It’s best to leave him before you put one of you in trouble,” he concluded. I stared at him, speechless. He was right.
After a few minutes of silence, Christof smiled at me, as if he could see the resolve forming in my eyes. “I’m glad we had this talk,” he said before casually walking back to the warehouse. As he disappeared inside, I bit my lower lip, thinking about everything he said.
I stayed in the car for almost an hour after Christof left, plenty of time to ponder everything. Could I change Ethan? Was Christof right? Could I really continue to be with a criminal who had a thousand enemies and enjoyed killing people? Deep down, I knew the answer, but it was bitter to accept.
“I’m really sorry,” Ethan said as he approached the car after nearly an hour of leaving me there on a hot Sunday. My heart boiled as much as my body from the piercing sun. He hurriedly pulled out the key from his pocket and quickly released me from the cuffs. “Are you okay?” he asked, noticing the cold stare I was giving him.
“No,” I replied flatly. “I’m tired of this. Please, let the violence end now. Let’s just go somewhere and start a life together. Please, do that for me,” I began to plead, but before I could finish, Ethan was already shaking his head.
“I can’t, Emily,” he said, breaking my heart for the hundredth time. “Why not? Because I’m not special?” I echoed Christof’s words, and Ethan gave me a confused stare. “I’m not worth you changing?” I asked again.
“No, that’s not true, Emily,” Ethan tried to explain, but his words blurred together in my mind. All I could hear was that he wasn’t going to change.
“You know what? Let’s end this charade,” I said, even though my heart didn’t mean a word. “Let’s end all of this. I can’t be with a criminal, and you can’t change for me,” I said, and Ethan sighed.
“I will change, Emily. I just need time,” Ethan pleaded.
“When?” I asked, considering his words.
“Five years,” he replied.
“Five years?” I laughed sarcastically. He really did think I was naive. “You want me to wait five years? Waste my life waiting for you?” I demanded. I wanted him to change immediately, now. I wanted him to just say, “Let’s get on a plane and go far away this instant,” but he wasn’t saying what I needed to hear.
“You’re right, I can’t watch you waste your life waiting for me to change,” Ethan said, tears threatening to fall from my eyes. I knew what he was about to say. It was what I had been saying too, but hearing it from him would make it worse.
“It’s time to let you go, Emily,” Ethan said, his voice laced with sadness. “But know this: if, after five years when I’m completely clean, you’re still single, I’ll come back for you, and I pray you take me back.”