Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

Ethan plopped down on the couch, looking like he owned the place.

Would Fiona's emotional singing bring back his memories? Or would it just mess with his head?

"Your stomach still giving you trouble these days?"

I finally looked up from the table I was pretending to clean for the hundredth time, trying to sound all casual.

Ethan pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and gave me this smirk.

"What do you think my stomach is, a drama queen?"

He could still crack jokes.

I couldn't tell if he was just good at hiding it or if Fiona's singing really didn't get to him.

I said, "Even iron rusts if you don't take care of it after a while."

Ethan held the cigarette, tilted his head, and grinned at me. "Emily, you're getting all deep on me."

'The more you go through, the more you get it,' I guess.

I headed to the kitchen to cook.

Fiona's song ended, and a guy's voice started playing on the recorder.

I knew that voice was Ethan's. Ever since I found out he was the lead singer of The Thorn Birds Band, I could pick out his voice anywhere. But in real life, I'd never heard him sing.

Halfway through the song, it suddenly cut off. I snapped back to reality and saw the sink overflowing. I quickly turned off the faucet. Ethan walked to the kitchen door, and I asked, "Why'd you turn it off?"

"Terrible." He sounded like he was mocking himself.

I fished the veggies out of the sink, poured oil into the pan, and started frying eggs. I glanced at him.

"I think it's awesome. Seriously, it's the best voice I've ever heard because it's got soul."

Ethan walked over, smiling lazily. "So you've always had a thing for me. When did that start?"

I put down the spatula, turned around, and looked at him seriously.

"It's not just me. You know how big The Thorn Birds Band was back then. If you had kept going, you might've made it big by now."

I stared at him, but his face was a blank slate.

"It's burning!" he suddenly said.

I smelled it too and quickly turned off the stove. But the eggs were already toast.

"What did this egg do to deserve such a charred fate?" Warm breath brushed against my ear.

Even though he was teasing, Ethan said it like he meant it.

I was both annoyed and amused. So I pushed him out of the kitchen.

"It's all your fault. Can you stop messing with me while I cook?"

Ethan stood at the door, looking all innocent, and added, "Looks like I'm the one who messed it up!"

I couldn't help but crack up.

With just a few words, he made me forget my worries for a bit.

Right before dinner, Jason rolled in.

We chatted while eating, and I made sure to steer the convo towards The Thorn Birds Band.

I said I always dug the song "Flicker of Hope" and asked Jason, "What inspired you to write that jam?"

Before Jason could answer, Ethan butted in, "I know."

I looked at Ethan, and he said, "For a girl he always had a thing for."

Jason kept his head down, munching away, not denying it.

After a brief awkward silence, I asked, "So what happened to that girl?"

Jason finally looked up, his lips tight, with a hint of bitterness.

I thought maybe I shouldn't have pushed, but just as I was about to change the subject, Jason answered, "She's married now."

Those few words were loaded with pain.

Jason stared at the table, his eyes kinda shiny.

I thought he must've really liked that girl. Even after all these years, I could still see the deep affection in his eyes.

They say first love is unforgettable, and most people keep it in their hearts forever.

But I didn't really have a so-called first love. I married Arthur without much romantic drama.

My growth was a rollercoaster, and I took on responsibilities earlier than most. During my teenage years, I didn't have time to focus on any boy, let alone have the energy to be head over heels for someone. If I had to pick someone from my memories, there was a boy who once looked out for me like an older brother.

Growing up to 26, I got limited warmth, so I clearly remembered everyone who was kind to me.

Unfortunately, he moved away later, so I never saw him again.

After dinner, the three of us chilled in the living room watching TV.

I casually flipped the channel, and an ad for a talent show popped up.

The "Sing Your Youth" talent competition was happening nationwide, and the Starlight City auditions had kicked off.

I pretended to ask casually, "Can The Thorn Birds Band make a comeback? Even if it's missing one person?"

Jason glanced at Ethan without saying a word.

But I got the gist. It all depended on when Ethan was ready to pick up the guitar again. As long as Ethan refused to touch the guitar, it meant Fiona's issue was still eating at him. I quickly caught the highlight in the ad.

"Skyline International Corporation sponsoring the ad?" I read it out loud, looking at Ethan. Ethan, sprawled on the couch, gave a faint smile. "Everyone with a dream deserves a shot." So, what about Ethan's dream?

Later, Jason headed upstairs, leaving just the two of us in the living room. Ethan pulled me over to sit next to him. Feeling bored, I picked a TV drama to watch. It was one of those popular romance series.

Ethan held me close, leaning down to whisper in my ear, "These shows are the worst."

I raised an eyebrow defiantly. "But women love 'em."

Ethan chuckled lightly. "Women love to fantasize. These cheesy plots are made to feed those fantasies."

Yeah, women did love to dream; it was a universal thing.

After a brief silence, I took a deep breath and turned to look at him.

"If we had met eight years ago when Fiona was still around, would you have chosen her or me?"

The living room lights were off, and only the TV's glow lit up Ethan's face. But I didn't miss the slight tension in his expression.

He pressed his lips together and stayed silent for a long time. I stubbornly stared at him, waiting for his answer.

After what felt like forever, he said softly, "I don't answer 'what if' questions."

But it was just a hypothetical question. His refusal to answer meant he was conflicted, or he had an answer but didn't want to say it to avoid hurting me.

What I really wanted to ask was, if Fiona hadn't died, who would he choose?

The hand on my shoulder gently rubbed it. "Emily, can you stop with these questions? Fiona and I were done."

If it was truly over, then who sent that text message?

I held back from asking further. I needed to learn to stay calm.

According to the text, maybe the answer would be revealed soon.

Whatever the answer was, I was already bracing myself for the worst.

When Ethan was hospitalized and saw my burnt hand, he told me to stop cooking. I didn't listen and kept at it, so he often suggested eating out. Every time, Jason would say no, claiming he didn't want to watch us flaunt our affection.

If Jason hadn't said that, it would have been fine. But since he did, we insisted on bringing him along to prove we weren't ditching our friends for romance.

That day, we went to a restaurant we frequented, and before we even sat down, I spotted Lacey.

Lacey was sitting across from a guy, and the vibe between them was off. Their faces screamed awkwardness.

When she saw us, her eyes lit up, and she waved us over.

I sensed something was off between her and the guy, and I didn't want to get involved. But since she called us over so openly, we had no choice but to join them.

The guy dining with her wore square black-framed glasses and sat all stiff, looking like a total nerd.

After we sat down, Lacey gave us a quick intro.

With us there, the guy got even more awkward. He kept rubbing his thighs with his hands, looking super uncomfortable and nervous.

Lacey chatted with us, totally ignoring the guy, who seemed like the shyest dude ever. He didn't say a word the whole time, his face getting redder by the minute. After about ten minutes of squirming, he finally stood up, mumbled an excuse, and bailed.

Lacey gave us a frustrated smile and explained, "He's a marriage prospect my dad set up."

Judging by the earlier awkwardness, I had guessed as much. I figured Linda didn't know about this; otherwise, she wouldn't have let Lacey date someone so obviously mismatched.

Lacey sighed. "My dad's a high school teacher. That guy's his colleague. Since they work together, my dad knows his character and thinks he's a good guy, so he decided to introduce us."

I teased, "Your dad's really playing matchmaker, huh?"

Lacey shrugged. "My dad's old-fashioned and traditional. He wants me to find a guy with a stable job, like a teacher or a doctor."

When she mentioned doctors, I glanced at Jason.

Jason was looking at the menu, acting like he didn't catch the hint in Lacey's words.

"I just remembered that Bella called earlier asking me to find her. I almost forgot." I'm not great at lying, so it probably sounded like a lame excuse. But I didn't care and pulled Ethan to leave. Ethan got the hint and followed me out.

I figured with Jason's manners, he wouldn't leave Lacey hanging just because we left.

Later, Ethan and I grabbed some pasta at an Italian place.

When we went to bed, Jason still hadn't come back.

I guessed they could easily got along well. Maybe as they kept talking, they might start to fall for each other.

When the sound of an engine woke me up, I didn't know what time it was, but I guessed Jason had finally returned.

But after a while, I didn't hear him come upstairs, so I got up to check.

Jason wasn't in the living room. I opened the villa door and saw a red glow on the car window. As I got closer, I realized he was sitting in the driver's seat, smoking.

I asked, "Why aren't you coming up?"

Jason slowly turned to look at me, silent for a few seconds, then said, "I'll come up after I finish this cigarette."

I nodded. "Alright, get some rest soon. You have work tomorrow."

I turned to go back inside, but a strong hand grabbed my wrist.