THE THINGS WE ALMOST SAY

Chapter 22: The Things We Almost Say

(Ethan & Riley – Stuck Overnight, Unspoken Words, and an Almost Moment That Meant Too Much)

Ethan – Present

The storm didn't stop.

If anything, it got worse.

The rain pounded against the cabin roof, drowning out everything except the distant roar of thunder.

Ethan hadn't moved from his spot by the fire.

Riley hadn't moved from the bench.

They were sitting in the same room, breathing the same air, but it felt like they were worlds apart.

And Ethan?

Ethan was grateful for the distance.

Because if she got any closer, he wasn't sure what he'd do.

Riley – Present

Riley couldn't sleep.

Not with the storm raging outside.

Not with Ethan sitting across the room, silent and unreadable.

Not with the weight of everything she should have said pressing against her ribs.

She watched him, the firelight casting shadows over his face.

He looked tired.

Not just physically.

But tired in a way that settled deep.

Like he had been carrying something too heavy for too long.

And she hated that she had been part of that weight.

She hugged her arms around herself, swallowing hard.

"Do you ever miss it?"

Ethan exhaled slowly. "Miss what?"

"This." She gestured vaguely between them. "Us."

A flicker of something crossed his face.

But it was gone too fast for her to name it.

Then—

"No."

The word was sharp. Final.

But Riley?

Riley didn't believe him.

Not for a second.

Flashback – Two Years Ago

14-year-old Riley sat on Ethan's roof, knees pulled to her chest, watching the city lights flicker in the distance.

It was past midnight.

They were supposed to be asleep.

But neither of them had been able to sleep for weeks.

Not since Ethan's dad got sick.

Not since the weight of the world started pressing down on their shoulders too soon.

Ethan sat beside her, his hoodie pulled over his head, his arms resting on his knees.

He wasn't saying much.

But that was the thing about Ethan.

He never had to say anything.

He just existed beside her, and that was enough.

After a long silence, Riley bumped his shoulder.

"Hey."

He turned his head, barely smiling. "Hey."

She hesitated.

Then—

"We're always gonna be like this, right?"

Ethan blinked. "Like what?"

She shrugged. "You and me. Best friends. No matter what."

Something in his eyes softened.

And when he answered, it wasn't just words.

It was a promise.

"Yeah, Rye," he murmured. "No matter what."

Present – The Space Between Them

Riley's chest ached.

Because they weren't those kids anymore.

They weren't sitting on rooftops, making promises they thought would last forever.

Now, they were sitting in a cabin during a storm, surrounded by silence, haunted by everything that went wrong.

And Riley?

Riley was done pretending.

So she stood up.

Crossed the room.

And sat down next to Ethan.

He tensed immediately.

"You don't have to do this," he muttered.

"Do what?"

"Try to fix something that's already broken."

Riley exhaled. "Maybe I'm just tired of letting it stay broken."

Ethan's jaw clenched.

And then—

A loud clap of thunder.

Riley flinched before she could stop herself.

And Ethan noticed.

She saw it happen in real-time.

The way his fingers twitched like he wanted to reach for her.

The way his breathing hitched, like he remembered all the times he had held her hand through storms before.

The way he almost let his guard down.

And then—

He shut it down.

Turned his face away.

Didn't touch her.

Didn't say anything.

And for some reason, that hurt more than anything else.

Ethan – Present

Ethan had made a choice two years ago.

To let Riley Carter go.

To stop letting her be the person who unraveled him.

But now?

Now, she was sitting beside him in the dark, looking at him like she still knew him.

Like she still saw pieces of the boy who once promised her forever.

And Ethan?

Ethan hated that part of him still wanted to believe she meant it.

But he couldn't.

Not again.

Not when she had already walked away once.

So instead of answering, he stood up.

Walked to the other side of the room.

And said the only thing he knew would make her stop trying.

"Go to sleep, Riley."

And just like that—

The moment was gone.

Riley – Present

Ethan turned his back.

And Riley?

Riley laid down, staring at the ceiling, listening to the thunder.

And for the first time in two years, she let herself wonder what would have happened if she had stayed.

If she had been there when he needed her.

If she had never let him become a stranger.

Would they still be here?

Or would they still be them?