Chapter 21: The Ghosts Between Us
(Ethan & Riley – Stuck Overnight, A Flashback, and a Moment That Almost Meant Something)
Ethan – Present
The fire crackled.
The rain pounded against the cabin roof.
And Riley Carter was sitting on the other side of the room, staring at him like she was trying to remember who he used to be.
Ethan hated it.
Hated how small the cabin felt.
Hated that he could still hear her shaky breath every time the thunder rolled in.
Hated that his hands still twitched with the instinct to reach for her.
But mostly?
Mostly, he hated that for the first time in two years, Riley Carter was apologizing.
And he didn't know what to do with that.
So he did what he always did.
He shut her out.
Riley – Present
Ethan wasn't looking at her.
Which wasn't new.
But tonight?
Tonight, it felt different.
Because for one awful second, she had seen it.
The way his mask cracked when she said, I'm sorry.
The way his hands curled into fists, like he was holding something back.
The way his eyes flickered with something she wasn't supposed to see.
But now?
Now, he was back to pretending she didn't exist.
And Riley?
Riley was tired of pretending.
She hugged her arms around herself, shivering.
The fire was warm, but she wasn't.
She hadn't been warm since the night he walked out of her life.
"Ethan."
Nothing.
She swallowed. "Can you just—look at me?"
Ethan's jaw tightened.
For a second, she thought he'd ignore her.
But then, slowly, he lifted his head.
His gaze hit her like a punch.
Because it wasn't empty.
Not now.
Now, it was a storm.
And Riley?
Riley had never been good at surviving storms without him.
Flashback – Two Years Ago
The thunder rattled the windows.
Riley flinched.
She was 14, sitting cross-legged on Ethan's bed, wearing one of his old hoodies and gripping a pillow like it could protect her from the storm outside.
"Rye."
Ethan's voice was soft.
She peeked over the pillow.
He was sitting against the headboard, too calm, too steady, too Ethan.
Like the thunder wasn't even there.
Like he wasn't afraid of anything.
"You okay?" he asked.
She huffed. "Do I look okay?"
A small smile. Barely there.
"Not really."
She rolled her eyes, but her grip on the pillow didn't loosen.
Another clap of thunder.
Riley squeezed her eyes shut.
Then—
A hand on hers.
Not grabbing. Not forcing.
Just there.
Steady. Warm.
When she finally looked up, Ethan was watching her.
And in that moment, he was home.
So she let go of the pillow.
And held his hand instead.
Present – The Space Between Them
The fire crackled.
The thunder boomed.
And Riley felt like she was 14 again, gripping a pillow, waiting for Ethan to tell her she was safe.
Except now?
Now, he wasn't touching her.
Now, he was looking at her like she was someone he used to know.
And Riley?
Riley wanted to burn the distance between them to the ground.
So she said the words she should have said two years ago.
"I should've been there."
Ethan froze.
His fingers tightened around his knee.
But he didn't speak.
Didn't move.
Didn't give her anything.
So she kept going.
"When your dad—" She swallowed. "When he—"
She couldn't say it.
Because the second she did, it would be real.
It would be real all over again.
Ethan exhaled sharply, turning away.
"Don't," he muttered.
Riley's chest ached.
"Don't what?"
"Don't talk about it," he said, quiet but sharp.
She blinked. "Ethan—"
He stood up so fast the bench scraped against the floor.
"This storm will be over soon," he muttered. "Get some sleep."
And then?
Then he turned his back.
Like she hadn't just ripped open an old wound.
Like she hadn't just handed him her regret on a silver platter.
Like she hadn't just said the one thing he had been waiting two years to hear.
Riley's throat tightened.
She should have known.
Saying sorry wasn't enough.
It was never going to be enough.
Because Ethan Hayes wasn't ready to forgive her.
And maybe?
Maybe he never would be.
Ethan – Present
Ethan stared at the fire, his pulse pounding.
She should've been there.
She had said it.
Finally.
And now?
Now he didn't know what to do with it.
Because two years ago, those words would have saved him.
Now?
Now, they just felt like too little, too late.