Chapter 2

"Shut up."

Ethan’s whole expression changed.

He looked at me like I’d crossed some unforgivable line.

"You really want to talk about the other woman?"

I stared at him.

He gave a cold laugh.

"The other woman is the one the guy doesn’t love, Claire."

Then he looked me right in the eye.

"Right now, that’s you."

That hurt.

I wish it hadn’t, but it did.

Before I could say anything, Ethan shoved the anniversary cake aside.

It hit the floor and split open.

I just stood there.

I’d spent three nights working on that cake.

Inside it was a pair of limited-edition cuff links Ethan had mentioned wanting months ago. I’d had to track them down through three different sellers.

One rolled across the floor and stopped near his shoe.

He looked at it.

For maybe half a second.

Then he said, "Chloe would never waste this much time on something so pointless."

I looked up.

"What?"

"The cake. The gifts. All of this."

He gestured around the room.

"You always have to make everything into some big production."

I couldn’t even answer.

Ethan headed for the guest room.

The door slammed behind him.

I stayed there for a while, then crouched down and picked up the cuff link.

My hand came away covered in frosting.

Three years of trying, and somehow Ethan had decided it was all just me trying too hard.

That night, I went to bed alone.

Sometime after two, I woke up with a sharp pain in my stomach.

At first, I tried to ignore it.

Then it got worse.

I curled up on my side, sweating, and reached for my phone.

Ethan was in the guest room.

Ten seconds away.

I called him.

His ringtone started down the hall.

Two rings.

Then he hung up.

I called again.

Straight to voicemail.

He’d blocked me.

While we were in the same house.

I stared at my screen, almost impressed.

Then another cramp hit, and I stopped caring.

I ordered a rideshare to the ER.

By the time I got there, I could barely stand straight. A nurse got me checked in and started an IV while I waited.

I was heading back toward my bay when I heard a familiar voice.

"Ethan, my stomach hurts."

I stopped.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

Ethan came through the ER doors carrying Chloe.

Actually carrying her.

He looked panicked.

"Can somebody help her?"

A nurse hurried over.

Ethan stayed right beside Chloe while they checked her out.

A few minutes later, the doctor smiled.

"She’s fine. Looks like she just ate too much."

Ethan let out the biggest breath.

"That’s it?"

"That’s it."

He sat on the edge of Chloe’s bed.

"You scared the hell out of me."

She pouted.

"It really hurt."

"Yeah, because you ate enough for three people."

She leaned against him.

"It’s your fault."

"My fault?"

"You cooked too much."

I froze.

Ethan laughed.

"So now I’m in trouble because you liked dinner?"

"It was too good."

He shook his head and smiled at her.

"Next time, I’m cutting you off."

"No, you’re not."

"Fine. But don’t come crying to me when you overdo it again."

She grinned.

Then he added, "If you want it again, I’ll make it."

I stopped listening after that.

Ethan had cooked for her.

The same man who wouldn’t even walk into our kitchen if I was using the stove because the smell supposedly made him sick.

I looked down at the IV in my hand.

Less than an hour ago, he’d blocked my number while I was sick in the next room.

Now he was sitting beside Chloe, rubbing her back because she’d eaten too much of the dinner he made her.

That was almost funny.

Almost.

I turned around and went back to my bay.

For the first time, I wasn’t wondering what I could do to make Ethan love me better.

I was wondering why I’d wasted three years trying.