Instead, he pointed toward the dress.
“I am not sitting in that auditorium watching people laugh at my son.”
Ethan answered quietly:
“Then don’t come.”
I held my breath.
For one second, I thought Dean would take it back.
Instead, he grabbed his keys.
“Fine.”
And he didn’t come to graduation.
ETHAN’S BEST FRIEND WALKED AWAY TOO
His name was Ben.
They had been friends for years.
Ben initially thought Ethan was joking.
Then Ethan showed him the dress.
By the following afternoon—
Ben stopped responding to messages.
When I asked Ethan about him, he shrugged.
“He doesn’t want anything to do with this.”
“Doesn’t that hurt?”
Ethan looked away.
“Of course it does.”
“Then reconsider.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because Ben being uncomfortable doesn’t change what I promised.”
I wanted to ask exactly what promise he meant.
But every time I tried—
Ethan closed down.
