Chapter 66 — The Runaway Plan Back Then
"Huh?" Ethan blinked in surprise. "You mean Mexico—"
"Shhh. Not now," Missy cut him off quickly. "I don't want to ruin such a beautiful mood."
Her attention had already shifted from the couch to the outrageously large bed.
The next second, she flopped onto it like a cat finally discovering a warm cushion, rolling comfortably across the soft mattress.
Ethan watched her completely relaxed state and couldn't help laughing.
He unbuttoned his suit jacket and loosened his tie, finally letting the tension leave his shoulders.
After quietly casting two recovery spells on himself, he picked up the champagne bottle and two glasses, walked over to the bed, and sat beside her.
"I have to say, Miss Cooper—"
"the real center of attention at the entire reception tonight was actually you."
"Everywhere you went, people couldn't stop staring."
He added seriously,
"I think inviting you to that wedding was a mistake on your bride friend's part."
"A mistake?"
Warm light fell across Missy's face as she hummed softly and brushed a stray strand of hair back from her forehead.
"Oh please. She only invited me so she could show off."
Missy shifted into a more comfortable position, sinking deeper into the bed.
"Back in high school, she always wanted to beat me at something—especially when it came to boyfriends."
She pointed vaguely toward the direction of the ballroom downstairs, her tone carrying a hint of amused satisfaction.
"Well… you saw the groom's expression."
She gently swirled the champagne glass in her hand, the bubbles reflecting softly in her eyes.
"So now? I honestly don't care anymore. If she wants to win, she can go ahead."
"I'm happy today. That's enough."
She turned her head toward Ethan, her smile warm and naturally affectionate.
"Besides… I don't need to compete with anyone anymore."
The two raised their champagne glasses and lightly clinked them together.
Missy took a sip, the golden bubbles touching her lips and softening her smile.
Ethan also drank, but his movement slowed as he set his glass down—his eyes never leaving her face.
Missy noticed immediately. The corner of her lips lifted.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked softly.
"Nothing."
Ethan answered quietly.
"I just think… you look like you're glowing today."
Missy laughed softly.
She placed her champagne glass on the table and shifted closer, close enough that Ethan could smell the faint scent of her perfume.
"Ethan."
"Hmm?"
She looked at him calmly, her voice so soft it almost sounded like an accidental confession.
"I don't feel like talking anymore."
After saying that, she leaned slightly forward.
Time inside the suite became vague and unimportant.
---
Later
Outside the window, the daylight gradually faded from bright afternoon to soft gold at dusk before finally dissolving into the lights of the night city.
The champagne bottle now held only the last few bubbles.
The two of them sat close together in quiet intimacy.
Ethan leaned back against the headboard.
"You know… if Sheldon found out, he'd probably say we were engaging in completely meaningless social interaction."
"But actually—"
"it's pretty meaningful."
Missy rested her head against his shoulder, watching the city lights flicker on below.
"I agree."
The air between them stayed quiet for a moment.
Then—
faint fireworks sounds rose from the streets below. It must have been part of the wedding celebration.
Missy blinked.
"Oh… they've started the fireworks. We completely missed the first half of the wedding."
Ethan glanced at the time.
They had missed the first toast, the first dance—
and even the couple's speech to the guests.
He shrugged.
"I'm still pretty happy."
Missy smiled softly.
"Yeah. Happier than they are."
They sat there resting for a few minutes, neither moving.
Until—
Missy's stomach suddenly growled.
She froze for a moment, then said very seriously,
"…Should we maybe go downstairs and show our faces? And grab some food? I'm starving."
Ethan laughed.
"We don't actually have to go down. We could just order room service."
"No, we should go," she said, sitting up and tying her hair back.
"Otherwise tomorrow everyone will say we ran away from the wedding."
"And also… I'm really hungry."
---
Five minutes later, they straightened their clothes and walked back into the ballroom like perfectly normal guests.
The hall was still lively, and apparently no one had noticed their absence.
They greeted the bride briefly—completing their "appearance duty."
Then they walked toward the buffet area.
Missy grabbed a steak from the table while Ethan cut it for her.
While chewing, Missy suddenly looked up.
"Ethan."
"Hmm?"
After swallowing the bite of steak, she said,
"Since we're already down here… can we talk about that thing you mentioned earlier?"
"Which thing?"
"You know… Mexico."
Ethan coughed awkwardly.
"Oh…"
The memory suddenly pulled him back to that chaotic summer when they were fifteen.
That year, after George Cooper died unexpectedly, the Cooper family completely lost its pillar.
Grief, teenage rebellion, and confusion all collided at once—
turning Missy into something like a frightened wild cat, bristling in every direction.
And Ethan, as the person she trusted most… could only spin through that chaos alongside her.
Ethan searched for the right words.
"That was… a difficult time."
"I was completely out of my mind back then," Missy said, biting lightly on her spoon.
"Yeah. It was pretty crazy," Ethan admitted with a nod.
"Oh please," she shot back. "Who was the one that helped me buy alcohol?"
"I was worried you'd try to get it from someone even worse."
(It had been the first time he ever used shadow magic—mentally controlling the store clerk so he would sell them the alcohol.)
"Yeah, right." Missy poked his arm. "You were ridiculously good to me back then."
Ethan didn't deny it.
Mary and Missy had moved back to Texas.
Sheldon had gone to Germany.
Her brother George had moved out.
The house had been left with just Missy—and the storm of rebellious emotions inside her.
And once that rebellion started, it didn't stop.
Tattoos. Drinking. Hormones running wild.
And the night that changed everything had begun with one of Missy's "tests."
Mary had discovered a pair of denim shorts outside Missy's bedroom door.
Her furious shouting had nearly brought the roof down.
Inside the room, the two teenagers had nearly lost their souls on the spot.
"That night I went from being scared… to being angry," Missy said.
"You were really angry."
"Of course I was! My mom yelled at you worse than she yelled at me!"
The shorts had been Missy's.
But Ethan had been the one getting yelled at—and he couldn't even defend himself.
That night, Missy appeared outside Ethan's window with a backpack.
Her eyes were red and swollen, but her expression was strangely determined.
"I'm going to Mexico to get married."
Ethan stared at the trembling girl in front of him and had no idea how to refuse.
But he had made his own quiet plan.
He had only brought ten dollars with him, assuming they wouldn't be able to travel far without money.
Unfortunately, Missy had brought all the cash she had secretly saved.
They ended up staying an entire day in a shabby motel near the border.
Missy refused to leave the room, insisting that she wanted to "experience married life."
Ethan had no choice but to stay there with her.
But while Missy was fully immersed in the rebellious adventure, Ethan secretly contacted her brother George.
"George was the one I called," Ethan admitted honestly.
Missy stared at him slowly, her eyes narrowing.
"That part… I will never forget."
"You were already extremely unstable at that point," Ethan said carefully. "I was afraid you'd run even farther away…"
Teenagers were terrifying.
They listened to nothing and did whatever they wanted.
During the trip, Ethan had deliberately acted as irresponsibly as possible, hoping Missy might realize the absurdity of the situation and come to her senses.
But even when they were nearly at the border, she had remained stubbornly determined.
Back in the ballroom, Missy looked at him quietly for a long time.
Then she let out a long breath.
"Looking back now…" she said softly, "what you did back then was the right thing."
"But I was mad at you for three months."
"At the time, I felt like… even you had betrayed me."
Her voice softened.
"But actually… you were just there with me while I went crazy."
"And only stepped in when things were about to spiral completely out of control."
Silence lingered between them.
She lifted her head, calm now with the clarity that adulthood brought.
"Thinking about it now… I'm glad you made that choice."
Ethan exhaled slowly.
"I'm just glad you've been able to let it go."
---