Chapter 3:
The next day, Gwen went to work early in the morning. But the time she got out it was
6 pm. Her boss had wanted her to work overtime and she had agreed, thinking that it was
something to get her mind off of Ethan. At least for a while. But now she had left. She decided
to go over to the Book Cafe. The weather wasn't as chilly as it was yesterday, but it was still
pretty cold. She wanted something to drink before she would go home and face having to tell
her parents that a business merger marriage would not take place between the Hotchkisses
and Cranes {a/n: ethan is still a crane in this fic.}
Once she stepped inside, she took comfort in knowing how warm it was in there. So
much better than the outside. Maybe my mood will change with the coldness factor, thought
Gwen.
After she got her cup of coffee, she walked around, looking for a good book to buy.
Her eyes caught the attention of someone else's eyes from the other side of the book shelf.
They looked oddly familiar. She casually went to the other side of the shelf to see who it was.
"Hank!" she said, grinning up at him. "Hi. How are you?"
"Hi, Gwen," he replied. "I'm good. How are YOU?" He looked at her, his eyebrows
raised. He figured she was still upset about being dumped by Ethan.
She could tell he cared. "I'm slowly feeling better, thanks," she answered.
"What book is that?" Hank asked, referring to the book Gwen was holding.
"Oh, umm, it's 'Fab Five' by Mitch Albom. Heard of it?"
"Are you kidding?" he asked her incredously. "They're the most famous college
basketball team in the world. Wait a minute - are you telling me, you, Ms. Hotchkiss, who has
millions to her name, enjoys basketball? {a/n: that was the only book that came to mind. read
it. it's a great nonfiction. and about my fave team ever!}
Gwen laughed. "That's right." She leaned over to whisper something to him. "Don't
tell anyone."
"I won't," he laughed.
"Good," Gwen grinned at him.
Before Hank could open his mouth to continue his conversation with Gwen, their
attention was diverted by the loud laughter heard from nearby.
"Oh, Ethan, that was so funny!" Theresa managed to say, tears coming to her eyes
from all the uncontrollable laughing. She held onto Ethan as if he was the only thing that was
keeping her up.
Gwen recognized the voices easily. Ethan and Theresa. Harmony's newest couple.
Gwen's smile soon turned into a frown. She looked away from Hank sadly.
"I have to go, I'll see you later," she quickly mumbled to Hank.
She took a step forward, but soon realized that there was no way she could leave the
Book Cafe without paying for the book in her hand, or being noticed by the lovey dovey
couple nearby.
"O..kay," Hank answered slowly. He was having a nice conversation with Gwen, and it
was interrupted by the presence of her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend.
Gwen quickly went over to the cashier to pay for the book, but was seen by Ethan and
Theresa.
Ethan approached her right after she had taken her receipt from the clerk. He quickly
called her name before she left the cafe. He wanted to talk to her. He felt bad for breaking up
with her, but was hoping that they could still be friends.
"Gwen," he called to her.
Her back was to him when she heard him call her name. She stopped in her tracks and
grimaced. She wouldn't be a coward and walk away, pretending like she didn't hear him. She
would only be fooling herself if she did that. She turned around slowly to face him.
"Hi, Ethan," she mumbled, giving a small, fake smile.
"How are you?" he asked worriedly.
How do you expect me to be? her mind shouted out. "I'm good, Ethan," she replied.
She was practically dying inside, knowing that she was talking to the man she loved but there
was no way she would let him have any suspicion of how much her heart had been broken.
"I just wanted to say that I want us to be friends and that I'm sorry, again for -" Ethan
began to say.
Gwen raised her hand to interrupt him. She knew where his sentence was going. The
last thing she needed was sympathy from the person who caused her so much pain. And she
didn't want to be friends with him, either. That was the last thing she wanted. To be friends
with someone she loved wholeheartedly. "Say no more, Ethan."
"But Gwen...."
"Listen, Ethan," Gwen said, lowering her voice and inching closer to him. "It's over.
I've accepted it. Now please just leave me alone."
She waited for a response from him. When she didn't get any, she turned on her heel
and walked out of the cafe. She had been strong during her encounter with Ethan, but now the
tears began to sting her eyes. She walked to her car, and dropped the book and her purse on
the passenger seat of the BMW. Gwen sat in her car, crying her eyes out.
Hank had watched the whole encounter between Ethan and Gwen in the Book Cafe.
He couldn't help feel bad for her. Ethan was such a loser. How could she have possibly ever
loved him? How could she love him when there are so many better people out there?
Someone better like me, he thought to himself.
{a/n: sorry it's been awhile since i reviewed. i hope ur still reading this.}
The next day, Gwen went to work early in the morning. But the time she got out it was
6 pm. Her boss had wanted her to work overtime and she had agreed, thinking that it was
something to get her mind off of Ethan. At least for a while. But now she had left. She decided
to go over to the Book Cafe. The weather wasn't as chilly as it was yesterday, but it was still
pretty cold. She wanted something to drink before she would go home and face having to tell
her parents that a business merger marriage would not take place between the Hotchkisses
and Cranes {a/n: ethan is still a crane in this fic.}
Once she stepped inside, she took comfort in knowing how warm it was in there. So
much better than the outside. Maybe my mood will change with the coldness factor, thought
Gwen.
After she got her cup of coffee, she walked around, looking for a good book to buy.
Her eyes caught the attention of someone else's eyes from the other side of the book shelf.
They looked oddly familiar. She casually went to the other side of the shelf to see who it was.
"Hank!" she said, grinning up at him. "Hi. How are you?"
"Hi, Gwen," he replied. "I'm good. How are YOU?" He looked at her, his eyebrows
raised. He figured she was still upset about being dumped by Ethan.
She could tell he cared. "I'm slowly feeling better, thanks," she answered.
"What book is that?" Hank asked, referring to the book Gwen was holding.
"Oh, umm, it's 'Fab Five' by Mitch Albom. Heard of it?"
"Are you kidding?" he asked her incredously. "They're the most famous college
basketball team in the world. Wait a minute - are you telling me, you, Ms. Hotchkiss, who has
millions to her name, enjoys basketball? {a/n: that was the only book that came to mind. read
it. it's a great nonfiction. and about my fave team ever!}
Gwen laughed. "That's right." She leaned over to whisper something to him. "Don't
tell anyone."
"I won't," he laughed.
"Good," Gwen grinned at him.
Before Hank could open his mouth to continue his conversation with Gwen, their
attention was diverted by the loud laughter heard from nearby.
"Oh, Ethan, that was so funny!" Theresa managed to say, tears coming to her eyes
from all the uncontrollable laughing. She held onto Ethan as if he was the only thing that was
keeping her up.
Gwen recognized the voices easily. Ethan and Theresa. Harmony's newest couple.
Gwen's smile soon turned into a frown. She looked away from Hank sadly.
"I have to go, I'll see you later," she quickly mumbled to Hank.
She took a step forward, but soon realized that there was no way she could leave the
Book Cafe without paying for the book in her hand, or being noticed by the lovey dovey
couple nearby.
"O..kay," Hank answered slowly. He was having a nice conversation with Gwen, and it
was interrupted by the presence of her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend.
Gwen quickly went over to the cashier to pay for the book, but was seen by Ethan and
Theresa.
Ethan approached her right after she had taken her receipt from the clerk. He quickly
called her name before she left the cafe. He wanted to talk to her. He felt bad for breaking up
with her, but was hoping that they could still be friends.
"Gwen," he called to her.
Her back was to him when she heard him call her name. She stopped in her tracks and
grimaced. She wouldn't be a coward and walk away, pretending like she didn't hear him. She
would only be fooling herself if she did that. She turned around slowly to face him.
"Hi, Ethan," she mumbled, giving a small, fake smile.
"How are you?" he asked worriedly.
How do you expect me to be? her mind shouted out. "I'm good, Ethan," she replied.
She was practically dying inside, knowing that she was talking to the man she loved but there
was no way she would let him have any suspicion of how much her heart had been broken.
"I just wanted to say that I want us to be friends and that I'm sorry, again for -" Ethan
began to say.
Gwen raised her hand to interrupt him. She knew where his sentence was going. The
last thing she needed was sympathy from the person who caused her so much pain. And she
didn't want to be friends with him, either. That was the last thing she wanted. To be friends
with someone she loved wholeheartedly. "Say no more, Ethan."
"But Gwen...."
"Listen, Ethan," Gwen said, lowering her voice and inching closer to him. "It's over.
I've accepted it. Now please just leave me alone."
She waited for a response from him. When she didn't get any, she turned on her heel
and walked out of the cafe. She had been strong during her encounter with Ethan, but now the
tears began to sting her eyes. She walked to her car, and dropped the book and her purse on
the passenger seat of the BMW. Gwen sat in her car, crying her eyes out.
Hank had watched the whole encounter between Ethan and Gwen in the Book Cafe.
He couldn't help feel bad for her. Ethan was such a loser. How could she have possibly ever
loved him? How could she love him when there are so many better people out there?
Someone better like me, he thought to himself.
{a/n: sorry it's been awhile since i reviewed. i hope ur still reading this.}