I leaned against Ethan’s shoulder, exhausted.
“Before we came, I didn’t finish telling you. I suspect Dylan was involved.”
Ethan took a deep breath. “Sarah, what if he wasn’t?”
“If he’s innocent, would you choose him, or me?”
It wasn’t until he asked that question that I finally relaxed. Ethan always assumed he was the one who wouldn’t be chosen. But the Sarah from ten years later, always chose him, without hesitation.
I looked up at him. “Do you remember when Dylan first started acting?”
“Yes.”
く
“We hadn’t met yet. By then, Dylan and I had
already broken up.” If I had to define my
feelings for Dylan, it was complicated. We’d supported each other through the turbulent
years of adolescence and into the harsh
realities of adulthood. Compared to that, the
romantic aspect was minimal.
I counted on my fingers. “He debuted, started acting, became more and more famous. By the time you and I got married, we’d been broken
up… for over a year.”
“I admit, I hated you at first. Just like I hated my
uncle. I hated anyone who barged into my life.
uninvited. And then, Dylan was in a car accident
on his way to dinner with an investor. The driver
was one of your employees. So I lumped you in
with my uncle, thinking you were both ruthless
and cruel. I didn’t hate you because I loved
Dylan. I didn’t love Dylan that way. I just
couldn’t stand someone who would ruin another
person’s career without a second thought.”
<
“No,” I said, holding his arm. “Like I said, it was
my uncle. You did nothing wrong. If anyone
dares to blame you, I’ll fight them.”
He was silent for a moment, then said, “Thank
you.”
“For what?”
“For the first time, someone’s defending me.”
His words filled me with guilt. Ethan’s family
was rarely mentioned in his circle. He truly had.
no one to protect him.
Ethan looked at me intently. “Can you tell me…
how you started to… like me?”
The night was dark, but I could see the hope in
his eyes.
“One time, you came home drunk and tripped
over the scarf I was knitting for our nunny In
One line, you came home runk did npped over the scarf I was knitting for our puppy. In the middle of the night, you sat cross–legged on the floor, trying to figure out how to fix it. I told you to go to bed, but you said the puppy would be cold in the winter without its scarf.”
“I realized that someone who cared about a puppy being cold couldn’t be so heartless as to hurt another person.”
There was something else I didn’t tell him. That night, Ethan had talked in his sleep. He said, “Sarah, I’m cold too.” I’d overheard him when I got up for a glass of water. My heart softened. I felt sorry for him. He was all alone, with no one to love him.
Ethan was listening intently. “We had a puppy?”
“Yeah, seven years from now, for my birthday, you gave me one. You said you were too busy and always away from home, so the puppy
could keep me company.” I counted on mv
<
could keep me company.” I counted on my
fingers. “Actually, it should be an old dog somewhere right now, waiting to be reborn. Our puppy was so smart, it learned tricks so quickly. I almost wondered if it had skipped drinking
from the Lethe-”
I stopped mid–sentence.
Ethan frowned. “What’s wrong?”
I grabbed his hand, a sudden realization dawning on me. “Dylan… he’s the same as me.”
“Same how?”
“On the rooftop,” I said, my brow furrowing.
“When Dylan jumped, he said it had been years
since he’d heard me sing happy birthday…”
“But you celebrated his birthday last year.”
Ethan’s eyes narrowed. He understood
11:27
<
Hallowed. He uuel Stuu
Linas eyes a
instantly. “You’re saying… in your past life, for
years…”
“Yes.” Blood rushed to my head. The feeling of dread was overwhelming. “He said he waited
years for me to sing him happy birthday. That’s
the only explanation.”
We looked at each other, the same question in
our eyes.
“To the hospital,” Ethan said.
Half an hour later, the doctor told us someone
had taken Dylan. When we pressed further, they
refused to give us any information, citing
patient confidentiality. It was hard to believe
Dylan wasn’t involved.
On the way back, I kept thinking about one
thing. “Do you think he jumped on purpose?”
Ethan tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.
<
“Usually, from that height, the police would
have an inflatable mattress ready. If it were me,
I’d be 100% sure I wouldn’t die.”
I stared at his profile. “So… what do you think
his motive was?”
He snorted softly. “To gain your sympathy, to
make you side with him.”
That was the first time, in either of my lives,
that Ethan had said something so… petty.
I nodded seriously. “Hmm, you seem to understand men pretty well.”
He said dryly, “Men understand men best.”
I didn’t argue. Looking out the window at the passing scenery, I fell into thought. Warning Ethan ten years in advance who to watch out for shouldn’t make things worse. Remembering the way he’d rushed into the flames without
ached. How could I not love him? Kindness is
always noticed.
