A Picture's Worth
Copyright© 2026 by Evie Olivia Niven
Chapter 18: The Ex-Boyfriend
To say that Ethan had been shocked when Bea had asked him to go to church with her on Sunday would have been a great understatement. He’d been even more puzzled when they’d left late, sometime after noon. If we’re not going for Mass, he wondered, then why are we going? She wouldn’t tell him. Admittedly, he was puzzled about the whole thing. With what was going on with Aria, Ellery, and Alanna, Ethan was feeling pretty stressed out. He didn’t know how he would take any sort of weird surprises. He’d only agreed to go because it had seemed to him that Bea really needed him right now.
She tried to hide it, but she was upset over this, just as much as he was. We need each other right now, Ethan thought, reaching over and resting his hand on her knee. I have to support her, no matter what. She’d been there for him right along; he wasn’t going to fail to be there for her. Bea glanced at him, a smile touching the corners of her mouth, then turned her focus back on the road. She’s been so distracted lately, Ethan thought, frowning. That’s unlike her.
The church was a nice one, painted a tidy white that gleamed in the afternoon sun, and faced in rusty red brick. Ethan leaned against the car for a long moment, staring at it. When Bea reached his side, he slid an arm around her, automatically pulling her against him, as if it were an instinct. As distracted as she was, her presence was still a comfort to him.
“So, why are we here, exactly?” Ethan asked, as they headed towards the church.
“So you can meet my ex,” Bea answered simply.
Ethan frowned. “Your ... wait, what ex? Not ... that ex?”
“Yes, that ex,” Bea said, nodding. She glanced up at him and smiled reassuringly. “You’ll understand soon.”
Understand? he thought, his frown deepening. How am I supposed to understand anything about the man who preyed on my girlfriend when she was only twelve? Bea usually had her reasons for the things she did, though, so he was just going to have to trust her. The church was emptying out by the time they got inside; it was lunchtime, after all. Inside was cool and quiet. Bea led him down the middle, towards the end of the rows of benches, where a young-looking priest stood talking to a small, sweet-looking old lady.
Ethan watched, puzzled, as the old woman started up the aisle and Bea approached the priest. No, he thought, his eyes widening. No way! The two of them clasped hands, smiling in the warm way of old friends. When Bea beckoned him over, he came hesitantly, not sure how to handle this. Ethan simply didn’t know what to think about the fact that she still talked with her old boyfriend—and that he was a priest! The man turned towards him and smiled hesitantly, apparently just as unprepared for this as Ethan himself was.
“Ethan, this is Ross,” Bea said, moving to his side and sliding an arm around him. “Ross, this is Ethan. I’ve told you about him.”
“Yes, you have,” Ross agreed, offering a hand to Ethan. “You did not, however, tell me that you were going to bring him to meet me.”
“That makes two of us,” Ethan said wryly, glancing down at Bea.
“I thought it might be good for the two of you to talk,” Bea explained, her eyes widening in poorly feigned innocence. “Oh come on, would either of you have gone along with it if I’d told you?”
“No,” they answered in unison.
Ross chuckled softly. Ethan imagined the other man’s reasons were a bit different from his own, though. It was never pleasant being the ex-boyfriend meeting the new boyfriend, and these circumstances were ... complicated. He wasn’t exactly sure what Bea wanted from him, but he would try, at least. Ethan watched her walk off, leaving the two of them alone together. Well, he thought, if she trusts me not to beat the living daylights out of him, then I’ll just have to trust that she knows what she’s doing.
Certainly, Ross didn’t look that old. He was about thirty, if Ethan’s reckoning was correct, although he looked more like twenty-five. His hair was dark, but shorter than he would have expected from someone Bea had dated, and his eyes were a dull brown. You know, he’s not even all that good-looking, Ethan thought. I guess she really did have feelings for him, as much as you can at that age. Deep down, he hoped that Bea thought of him as being better-looking than Ross, although it wasn’t a feeling he was terribly proud of.
“So, um...” Ethan began uncertainly. “You, uh ... and Bea...”
“I can guess what you’re thinking,” Ross said. He took a seat on one of the pews and looked up at Ethan. “I have to tell you, though, you are a very lucky man. There aren’t too many women in the world who are as understanding and forgiving as Bea.”
Ethan nodded slowly. “She’s wonderful,” he agreed, his voice quiet. He didn’t really want to sit next to Ross. “Although, admittedly, I hate it when she does things like this.”
“You’ll get used to it,” Ross assured him, his tone dry and amused. “Look ... I’m sure there’s nothing I can say that will make you like me. I don’t blame you, either. It wasn’t fair, the way I took advantage of her.” Ross leaned back, steepling his hands beneath his chin. “But don’t think I didn’t care about her. And don’t think I don’t care about her now.”
Aren’t I supposed to be the one telling him off? Ethan thought, his eyebrows raising. Sheesh, for a priest, he’s a bit hostile. Okay, to be fair, he was still a rather young priest. And in Ross’s place, he might be a bit hostile too, even though he didn’t really have much right to be. Bea just affects people like that, Ethan thought, no matter how hard a man tries to remain unaffected. He wondered if she was like that at twelve, too. She definitely struck him as the type he would have ended up with a crush on, back when he was that age.
“Is that why you’re here?” Ethan asked, gesturing at the interior of the church.
“I have my reasons,” Ross told him. “And yes, what happened with Bea is one of them. I’m grateful, though, that she’s been so forgiving. She’s a good friend.”
“Can I ... ask you just one thing?” Ethan spoke hesitantly.
“I don’t see why not,” Ross said, smiling faintly. “I’m sure Bea intended for us to do a bit more than glare at each other.”
“What was she like at that age?” Ethan asked. “I mean ... was she happy?”
“To an extent, yes,” Ross answered. “In some ways she wasn’t so different from how she is now; vibrant, outgoing, intelligent, and talented. But to be perfectly honest with you, she was never as happy as she should have been. Certainly not as happy as she is now.”
Ethan didn’t stay much longer; he really didn’t have a lot to say to the man. However, he found he could accept Bea’s friendship with him, although he couldn’t put his finger on exactly why. Maybe I finally got it through my thick skull that I can trust her, he thought, smiling wryly. Damnit, I’m such an ass. It was long past time that he offered her an explanation for his behavior. Tonight, Ethan decided, after we visit Aria and Ellery.
Bea was waiting for him in the car. She had the seat back and the music up, humming along to it with her eyes closed and a smile on her face. Grinning, Ethan slid into the passenger’s seat and reached over, sliding a hand along her belly. She jumped, her eyes flicking open. Bea laughed when she saw him and straightened, reaching over to pinch his arm. It was a bit of a juvenile scuffle, and Ethan was the one to end it, by grabbing her wrist and pulling her towards him for a kiss.
“What was that for?” Bea asked, when he let her go.
On impulse, he dragged her close again, his lips seeking her ear. “Because I couldn’t help it.”
“Ethan!” Bea dissolved into giggles as his teeth closed gently on her earlobe. “Come on, we promised Aria we’d visit her for lunch today!”
Ethan sighed. “All right, all right,” he conceded, sitting back in his seat. “I won’t even ask why you brought me here today, either.”
“Just to give you a little perspective,” Bea explained, as she started up the car. “I thought it might do you some good to know that there are people who strive to redeem themselves after they’ve done wrong.”
“What the hell is going on here!?”
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