Chapter 2

Ethan stopped at one in the morning and fell asleep soon after.

With his arm across my waist, I held my breath and slowly eased out from under it. The bedroom door cracked open just as I sat up.

Olivia stood outside wearing my clothes. I slipped out barefoot, and she pulled me into the walk-in closet next door.

“He didn’t notice?”

I shook my head.

Olivia looked pleased. We changed back into our own clothes. She put on her rumpled nightgown, reapplied perfume to her neck, and messed up her hair before slipping back into bed beside Ethan.

I returned to the guest room in my old clothes, aching all over.

I barely slept. I stood under the hot shower for a long time, trying to wash away the scent of her perfume.

Some things couldn’t be washed off.

I pulled on a long-sleeved shirt and covered myself from head to toe. Laughter drifted up from the dining room as I went downstairs.

The man who had held me the night before sat across the long table, spreading jam on Olivia’s toast.

She wore an ivory dress, her hair loosely pinned up. Leaning against Ethan, she said something that made the corner of his mouth lift.

They looked happy together. So happy that what had happened the night before felt like some impossible dream.

I lowered my head and tried to slip past, but Olivia called to me.

“Lily, you’re up. Come have breakfast.”

Ethan looked up at the sound of her voice. His gaze passed over my face without lingering.

He clearly had no idea I’d been in his bed. To him, I was just some distant relative staying in the house.

I walked over and murmured, “Morning.”

He gave me a polite nod. I kept my distance and chose the seat farthest from him.

The housekeeper brought me breakfast. I held my spoon and kept my eyes down, listening as they talked about the party the night before.

Olivia asked how much he’d had to drink. Ethan said he didn’t remember.

“Don’t drink so much next time,” she scolded. “You came home and wore me out.”

Ethan glanced at her, his voice gentler than usual. “You had a rough night.”

“You’d better remember that.”

Olivia smiled as if she really had been the one beside him the night before.

I hurried through breakfast and went back upstairs, only to realize I’d left my phone on the table.

When I returned for it, I heard Ethan ask Olivia, “How long is your sister staying?”

“What’s wrong?” Olivia wrapped her arms around his waist. “She just got here, and you already want her gone?”

“I’m not kicking her out.” He set down his coffee. “It’s just less private with another person in the house.”

Olivia blinked. “How so?”

“It gets in the way of our time together. And you two look so much alike that I can barely tell you apart sometimes. It’d be a problem if I mixed you up.”

Olivia laughed, blushing as she gave him a playful shove.

“Lily and I haven’t seen each other in years. I want her to stay a little longer.”

She leaned against his shoulder. “Let me have some time with my sister, okay?”

“Besides, she sleeps during the day and works at night. Our schedules won’t overlap. She won’t bother us.”

Ethan finally nodded. “Fine.”