Chapter 13: The Ghosts of Yesterday

The next few days after their heart-to-heart conversation by the lake were filled with a quiet optimism. It was a gentle optimism, not the kind that assumed everything would fall perfectly into place, but rather one that was built on small steps, on trust being restored piece by piece. Ethan and Lena had learned to navigate their new dynamic—talking more openly, not shying away from the tough topics, but also making space for the laughter, the joy, and the little moments that felt like they could be enough.

But as life would have it, progress doesn't always come without setbacks. Sometimes, just when things feel like they might finally be settling into a rhythm, the past comes rushing back, dragging its weight behind it.

---

It was a Thursday afternoon when Lena first noticed the shift. She had been at work all morning, buried in a project that had consumed her thoughts, when her phone buzzed with an incoming message. She unlocked it, expecting something mundane—perhaps a reminder to pick up groceries later or a work email. But the message she saw on the screen stopped her cold.

It was a text from an unknown number.

Lena, we need to talk. It's about Ethan.

Her heart skipped a beat. She didn't recognize the number, and the sudden mention of Ethan sent a jolt of unease through her. Her thoughts raced. Who was this? And why did they feel the need to reach out to her about him? The message was brief, vague even, but the tone seemed urgent—insistent, almost desperate.

Lena quickly typed out a response, her fingers trembling as she typed: Who is this? What's going on?

The response came almost immediately.

I'm sorry to reach out like this, but I'm someone from Ethan's past. I think you need to know some things. Please, let me explain.

Lena stared at the screen, her stomach sinking with the weight of this unexpected message. Her mind immediately went to the worst possible scenario. Who could this person be? Was it an ex? Someone who had information about Ethan that Lena didn't know? Her heart beat faster as uncertainty spiraled within her.

Before she could respond, her phone rang. She hesitated, the unknown number flashing on the screen once again. Should she answer? Was it a mistake to even engage with this stranger? But a part of her—something that had been lurking beneath her calm exterior since she and Ethan had begun rebuilding their relationship—felt like she needed to know. She needed to understand what was happening.

Taking a deep breath, Lena swiped to answer the call.

"Hello?"

The voice on the other end was shaky but clear. "Lena? Is this Lena?"

"Yes, it is. Who's this?" she asked, her voice calm but her mind whirling.

"I—this is Sarah. I... I used to know Ethan. A long time ago. And I think there are things he hasn't told you. Things that I—" The voice faltered for a moment. "I don't want to make things worse, but I need you to know the truth. You deserve to know."

Lena's heart dropped. She hadn't expected this, not in the slightest. Ethan had told her about his past, about his family, about his struggles, but he had never mentioned a Sarah. A rush of questions flooded her mind, but she forced herself to breathe.

"What kind of things?" she asked, her voice steady, though her hands were trembling.

"I don't want to say too much on the phone. But Ethan was a different person back then. He made some choices—some mistakes—that I think you should be aware of," Sarah said, her voice low but urgent. "I can meet you, talk to you in person. Please, just hear me out. I don't want to cause trouble, but you deserve the whole picture."

Lena felt a cold weight in her chest, but part of her—part of the Lena who had spent years avoiding the ghosts of her own past—understood the need to confront it head-on. She couldn't move forward with Ethan if she didn't know everything, even if the truth was painful. But there was also fear there, the fear that this might undo everything they had worked for.

"I'll meet you," Lena said finally, her voice quiet but resolute. "Where?"

---

Later that evening, Lena found herself sitting in a small, dimly lit coffee shop, waiting for Sarah. The minutes dragged on as her thoughts circled back to Ethan. What could this woman possibly have to tell her? Would this change everything? She had always known that relationships came with baggage, with history, but this felt different. This felt like something that could break the delicate bond they were trying to rebuild.

When Sarah finally walked in, Lena barely recognized her. She was older than Lena had expected, perhaps in her late thirties, with short brown hair and a look in her eyes that was both apologetic and guarded. She approached the table with a hesitant smile and sat down across from Lena.

"Thank you for meeting me," Sarah said softly, her hands wrapped around a cup of coffee. "I know this is a lot to ask."

Lena nodded but didn't speak right away. She needed to hear what Sarah had to say.

"I'll just get to it," Sarah said, taking a deep breath. "Ethan and I—back in our twenties, we were in a relationship. It wasn't long, but it was... intense. He wasn't the man you know now. He was—" Sarah paused, looking for the right words. "He was a mess. He didn't know how to handle anything—his emotions, his life. And I didn't know how to help him. There were things he did, things that hurt me, things that he's never really talked about. I think he's tried to bury it all, but it's not something that just goes away."

Lena's heart raced. The woman's words felt like shards of glass piercing the fragile reality she had been building with Ethan. "What kind of things?" Lena asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I don't want to destroy what you have with him, but I think you need to hear it from someone who was there," Sarah said, her voice strained. "Ethan was unfaithful to me. More than once. He kept secrets. He wasn't the person you think he is. And I just—" Sarah's voice broke, and she took a shaky breath. "I think he's hiding something from you. He's afraid of facing it. He's afraid of losing you."

The words hit Lena like a wave, and she felt her breath catch in her throat. Unfaithful? Secrets? Ethan, the man who had been so tender with her, so open about his vulnerabilities—had he really been someone so different in the past? Had he changed so much, or was he still the same person who had made those mistakes?

"I need to think," Lena said, standing up abruptly. "I—I'm sorry. I don't know if I can hear more right now."

Sarah nodded, understanding in her eyes. "I know. But please, just... ask him. Ask him to be honest with you. You deserve that much."

As Lena walked out of the coffee shop, her mind was in chaos. Everything she thought she knew about Ethan, everything she had believed in, was now in question. Could she trust him? Could she truly build a future with him, knowing what he had been capable of in the past? And what did this mean for their future? Was it too late for them to have the kind of love they both dreamed of, or was this the moment everything would unravel?

She didn't know the answers, but she knew one thing for sure: she would have to confront Ethan with the truth, and the weight of that conversation would change everything.