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“Ethan, I’m sorry.” My voice cracked, a well of emotion bubbling up from my chest. “That was never my intention. I didn’t know that’s how I came across. I can’t apologize enough for causing you that pain.”

So many questions swirled in my head, but I kept them to myself. It was a struggle since a part of me wanted to know how he could think such a thing. But, the important thing was to get through the next few days.

It was a relief that he’d resumed tapping the tabletop.

“I really want us to work well together for the festival. Let’s focus on that, okay?”

Ethan left me hanging for what felt like an eternity before he finally nodded. “Okay.”

We continued going through the schedule that wrapped up on Sunday with him leading the parade and hosting the closing concert. I made a conscious effort to be more supportive. There was nothing I could do to remove events from his schedule, though. He’d already been announced for them, which had sponsors and participants excited.

“Thank you for doing all of this. I realize now we should’ve communicated more since the festival expanded this year. The committee will do better in the future.”

“It’s all good for the community.” He sounded more relaxed than he had at any other time since we’d started talking. “The events are good, as always. And the new ones sound fun, especially the art walk.”

“The last thing you should know, even though it’s not finalized yet, is we’re hoping to stream many of the events. That’ll allow anyone who can’t be here to be connected virtually. As that comes together, I’ll make sure you get details.”

“That’s a terrific idea. If there’s anything I can do to support that, let me know.”

Ethan’s offer confused me. The stream would only add to the people watching him. “I appreciate that. I’ll keep you posted.”

I puzzled over his response. It seemed a one-eighty from his reluctance to be in the spotlight. Why would he support potentially more public attention? Was it genuine interest or perhaps an attempt to smooth over the earlier tension?

“Anything else we should discuss?” Ethan asked.

“That’s it for now.” I snapped the stylus in place on my tablet and closed its cover. “How about we meet up on Tuesday to go over all the judging stuff. I’ll email you what I already have, but we can sit and discuss it all then.”

“Let me know a good time and I’ll work it out with the camp schedule.” Ethan thumbed off his phone and pocketed it.

“So, I heard you bought the Montgomery place. Any big plans for it?” I dropped the question before I could second-guess asking it.

Ethan’s face lit up. “Nothing big. I’m planning to keep it pretty much as is. I have so many memories of spending time there as a kid that when I heard it was going up for sale, I jumped at the chance for it.”

Hearing it from Ethan brought a finality to the dream I’d had, even more than getting the news from Nicolas. Tension coiled in my chest as he made it seem so easy to buy something that big.

Ethan caught whatever disappointment I was showing. “What’s wrong?”

“I… I had hoped to buy that property. It’d be the perfect place to develop a summer camp for queer youth.”

“Oh.” Ethan sounded remorseful. “I had no idea.”

“No, of course you didn’t.” Bitterness flowed through my voice as I couldn’t hold back my feelings. “Must be nice to be able to swoop in with your hockey money and grab up whatever you want.”

My disappointment over the property was raw, but it wasn’t just about that. Years of unresolved feelings from high school rushed back, not to mention his comment about feeling bullied that had caught me off guard. All of it fueled my outburst.

“That’s not fair.” Ethan's voice was low and angry as he stood up, shoving the chair back hard enough that I thought it might flip over.

“Isn’t it?” I shot back as I stood too. “You’re a pro hockey player. You’ve got wealth and opportunity. It’s easy for you to do anything. After all, you did that a few years ago, buying the theater for your moms.”

Ethan recoiled. The hurt in his eyes was unmistakable and sent a pang of guilt through me. Buying the theater like he’d done was a good thing for the town. It was also an example of how he can just do things.

Sometimes I didn’t know when to shut myself up.

Mixed with that guilt was a confusing swirl of other emotions—resentment but also an undeniable attraction. Even angry, Ethan was maddeningly handsome, especially with how a lock of hair had dropped across his forehead.

“I’m sorry the success I’ve worked for offends you so much.” Ethan ran a hand through his hair, which caused more to fall toward his eyes. “And I’m sorry if I’ve disrupted your plans.” He grabbed the chair and shoved it against the table. “I’m going to go before one of us says anything else. Just… reach out if there’s something you need for the festival.”

As I watched Ethan go, a battle waged within me. Lingering frustration and regret over my harsh words swirled within me. Underneath it all sat a spark of attraction that I couldn’t shake or explain.