Elusive Love Read Online Free

Sanders, the daredevil.
    It had a nice ring to it.

When I pulled up outside a small white house, I saw Ethan sitting on his porch, smoking a cigarette. He stood and stomped it out before walking over to where my car was parked. He opened the door and climbed inside with a wide grin. I took a moment to look him over, surprised at just how much he’d changed since the last time I laid eyes on him. The photos I’d glanced at online didn’t do him justice. He was far more attractive than I’d remembered.
    “You know, I never expected that you’d actually show up when I suggested you come pick me up,” Ethan said in greeting.
    I checked to make sure there was no traffic before pulling back onto the road. “Honestly, I thought it was a bad idea when you suggested it.”
    Ethan laughed. “Then, why did you come get me?”
    I kept my eyes on the road, debating on what to say. “I guess I was just lonely.”
    He was quiet for a moment before speaking again, “You were so lonely that you came to pick up a guy you hadn’t seen since you graduated from high school years ago?”
    “I guess I was,” I mumbled as I made a right turn onto a less traveled road. I didn’t want to push my luck by driving right through the main part of town. I might be a fool for deciding to see Ethan in person, but I wasn’t a complete moron.
    “Turn right up here,” Ethan said suddenly.
    I curiously glanced over at him before turning as he had instructed. “Why am I going this way? I’m not even sure if this is a road or not. It might just be someone’s driveway.”
    “It’s a road, I promise. I used to go fishing at a pond up through here. A pull-off spot is coming up. Pull over there.”
    “Why?” I asked cautiously.
    “Because I think you need someone to vent to, and it’s kind of hard to have that kind of conversation while you’re driving. I’d rather you get it all out of your system at once instead of trying to focus on both the road and what you’re saying.”
    I pursed my lips but didn’t respond. Ethan had a point about my need to vent, so when I saw the pull-over spot, I turned the wheel, leaving the blacktop. Once I was off the road, I put my car in park and shut it off.
    We were completely surrounded by trees, no trace of human life anywhere near us. The sun was starting to sink below the horizon. I suddenly felt uneasy about being so totally alone with Ethan. It wasn’t just the fact that I hadn’t seen him in so long, but it also felt wrong to be alone with a man who wasn’t my husband.
    “So, do you want to vent or not?” Ethan asked. “Or we can just sit here in silence until you’re ready to go home. I’m good with either option.”
    I looked over at him. “A man who is willing to talk about emotions and stuff? You’re full of surprises.”
    He shrugged. “I call bullshit on that whole men-don’t-talk-about-feelings crap.”
    “I couldn’t tell you the last time Joey actually sat down and listened when I tried to talk to him about my feelings,” I said.
    “Then, he’s a fool. No marriage—hell, no relationship can last without communication,” Ethan said.
    “I wish he would realize that. The only communication we have is during our daily fights. Let me just say, there’s not a lot of good communication going on during those.”
    Ethan frowned. “Why don’t you start at the beginning and tell me what’s been going on between the two of you? I know you’ve been with him for a long time. You were with him back when we first met. You seemed so happy with him then.”
    “I was happy,” I said sadly. “I was in love—or at least, I was in love with the idea of love. Until Joey, no guy had paid me a bit of attention. I’d thought something was wrong with me, and then Joey came along. He spoke to me and paid attention to what I had to say. He told me how pretty I was and made sure that we always spent time together. He made me feel important, like I was worth someone’s attention.”
    “I