He Wanted My Bestie Reborn Me Said YES—So Why Regret Chapter 06
When Ethan opened his eyes, a splitting headache kept him from speaking,
Shouting came from outside-his parents and the Blakes, arguing over legal fees.
“If Meredith hadn’t run off, we wouldn’t be stuck with the venue cancellation penalties!”
“Your son ran out first. He breached the contract-that’s on you.”
“You’ll be hearing from our lawyer about the deposits. We’re not covering that.”
The noise hammered at his skull.
He pressed the call button.
The arguing stopped. His mother came in, helping him sit up.
“Ethan, does your head hurt badly?”
But his first question was, “Have they found Meredith?”
Mr. Blake lunged and grabbed his collar.
“Not yet! If anything happens to my daughter, I’ll hold you personally responsible.”
That only reignited the fight.
Ethan pushed through the pain, swung his legs off the bed, and stumbled toward the door.
His mother blocked him. “Where are you going?”
“To find Meredith.”
He was still in his hospital gown, pale, his eyes the only thing burning red.
“She’s probably dead. Why bother?” Mr. Blake snapped.
“No!”
Ethan yanked free of his mother’s grip, voice cracking.
“Meredith can’t be dead!”
But even he didn’t believe it.
Two weeks of searching. Nothing.
The coroner officially declared her missing, presumed dead.
Everyone assumed she was gone.
Even Meredith’s parents came to tell him, “Let it go Ethan. The coroner already ruled it an accident. At least she died a hero-she went out saving someone. That counts for something.”
Ethan’s fists clenched.
To them, reputation mattered more than their daughter.
As long as she died honorably in the public eye.
If they weren’t her biological parents, he’d have lost control.
The irony was bitter-he didn’t blame himself for what happened, but he couldn’t stand anyone treating her like a footnote.
He wouldn’t give up. He hired more private search teams, scoured that ocean for three months.
He spent every day at the rescue center.
Not even a body surfaced.
The search was draining money and energy. His friends dragged Jessica along to talk sense into
him.
“Ethan, you can’t bring back the dead. Don’t obsess over this. Maybe it’s for the best.”
“Yeah-nothing’s standing between you and Jessice now.”
He swept his cold gaze across them, pausing on Jessica
They saw an opening and pushed her forward.
But the moment she sat beside him, he stood up abruptly
Jessica went pale.
Even he was startled.
He used to adore her. Now he felt nothing.
Thinking of her as the reason Meredith was gone even stirred a flicker of disgust.
“Go home. I’m busy.”
He started to leave.
Someone called after him, teasing, “Ethan, don’t make your girlfriend upset over an outsider.”
He stopped and shot the speaker a cold look.
“Who’s my girlfriend?”
The guy answered without thinking, “Jessica, obviously.”
Ethan closed his eyes, reining in his temper.
“My girlfriend was Meredith. My fiancée was Meredith. There’s no one else.”
“Say that again and you’re out.”
He turned. But Jessica caught up.
“Ethan-did you ever love me?” she asked, voice thick.
That question made his head throb violently.
As if someone else had asked him the same-only more desperate.
“Ethan… did you ever love me?”
He pressed his temples, trying to place the voice.
It sounded like Meredith.
But he was certain she’d never said those words
When he tried to grasp the fleeting image, it slipped away
Jessica pressed on. “Tell me! If you didn’t love me, why did you save me?”
Frustrated, he answered flatly, “No reason. I’d save anyone.”
She stared, tears clinging to her lashes.
Calmly, he said, “I liked you. But I loved Meredith.”
