chapter thirteen

​"But it is fake," I told him sternly.

​He remained completely silent. His eyes stayed locked on the road ahead as his grip tightened on the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white.

​When we finally pulled up in front of my house, I stared at him, waiting for him to say something. Anything. But the silence in the car stretched on, heavy and suffocating.

​"Thank you for the ride," I murmured, breaking the quiet.

​"Mmmm," he grunted, his gaze dropping as he began to nervously play with his fingers.

​A sudden wave of guilt washed over me. I bit my lip, trying to soften the tension. "Ehhhm... I'm going camping the day after tomorrow," I told him. He didn't move. "So I have to pack my bags today. We'll be leaving with all my classmates on a charter bus picking us up at the school."

​He nodded slowly, finally turning to face me. His expression was completely unreadable as he spoke. "Will Saltzman be in attendance?"

​"He is my classmate, so of course he will attend," I told him casually, shrugging my shoulders. "Honestly, it will probably be good for him. He looks like he needs a serious break from everything. He looks terrible... I even saw a nasty scar on his wrist today."

​"Why do you care so much about him?" Ethan suddenly snapped, his dark eyes flashing with a sudden, sharp edge. "You still love him, don't you?"

​I fell silent, stunned by the sudden bite in his voice.

​Ethan let out a cold, humorless breath, looking away. "I'm not surprised he has a scar. His father has always been a brutal disciplinarian."

​I turned fully in my seat to face him, my brow furrowing. "You know Cole's dad?"

​He nodded tightly. "We actually go way back. His father and mine share the exact same line of business."

​"The same line of business?" I repeated. For a second, a piece of the puzzle seemed to click in my mind. Cole's dad used to be a massive hockey star too, but could that really be considered a traditional business?

​"Not hockey, love," Ethan answered smoothly, instantly reading the utter confusion plastered across my face. "They both dominated the NHL in their time, yes, but they played for entirely different teams. That wasn't their real business."

​"Then what line of business?" I pressed, searching his face.

​"You wouldn't understand, love," he replied evasively, his tone clipping the conversation short.

​"So you knew Cole before that game?" I asked, a sudden realization hitting me. "Why didn't you say anything to me? You acted as though you were meeting him for the very first time."

​"Well... yes," he admitted softly, changing the subject before I could dig any deeper. "Where is this camp of yours located?"

​"Lake Geneva. That's where our school hosts it every single year," I told him.

​"Do you actually plan on staying in the regular camp cabins?"

​"Where else would I stay?" I asked, letting out a slight laugh at the absurdity of the question.

​"There's an ultra-luxury resort close by," he said, his voice entirely serious. "I could easily rent out a private wing of it for you."

​I laughed again, shaking my head. "You joke too much, Ethan."

​But he didn't smile. Not even a little.

​"Wait... you're serious?" I asked, my laughter dying down. He nodded, slowly biting his lower lip as his eyes locked onto mine. "Why on earth would you do that? Besides, what am I supposed to do all by myself in a massive luxury wing?"

​"I'll come stay there with you," he murmured, his voice dropping an octave.

​A traitorous smile tugged at the corners of my lips at the mere thought of it.

​"You and I. Together," he whispered. The space between us vanished as he leaned in, staring intensely into my eyes before pressing his soft, warm lips against mine in a gentle, lingering kiss.

​When he finally pulled back, his breath fanned against my skin. "So? What do you say?"

​"I'll... I'll think about it," I stammered, my heart hammering against my ribs.

​"Well, if you're interested in spending a whole week alone with me, you should let me know before the end of the day," he said, a familiar smirk returning to his lips. "That way, I can pick you up today."

​"Okay," I managed to say. "Bye. I've gotta go inside."

​"Bye, love."

​I scrambled out of the car, and the second the door clicked shut, I heard the roar of his engine as he sped off down the street. I rushed into the house, quickly changed into comfortable casual clothes, and grabbed some juice and biscuits before immediately phoning Janice.

​"Hey, girl!" she yelled excitedly the moment she picked up.

​"Guess what?" I gasped.

​"What?! Tell me already, don't keep me waiting!"

​"Okay, okay! Ethan just invited me to stay with him at a private resort wing he's renting out during the school camp."

​Janice literally screamed into the receiver. "Oh my god, girl! Tell me you said yes right away!"

​"Not yet. I don't really know, Janice," I confessed honestly, pacing around my room. "He has been acting so strange lately, and I really don't want to start reading into things or getting my hopes up."

​"Well, you better say yes so I can come sneak into one of your luxury rooms, please!" she begged.

​"Fine, I'll call him right now," I laughed, giving in.

​Janice squealed in pure joy as I ended the call. Taking a deep breath, I quickly dialed Ethan's number. He answered on the very first ring, as if he had been staring at his phone waiting for me.

​"Hello, love," his deep voice greeted warmly. "Have you made your decision?"

​"Yes. I'll stay with you."

​"Fantastic," he chuckled, a rich, satisfied sound that sent a shiver down my spine. "Get ready. I'll be there to pick you up in a few minutes. You can stay at my place tonight and we can leave together tomorrow."

​I blinked, completely caught off guard. "Wait, what? No! I haven't packed, I haven't told my parents, and they aren't even home right now—"

​"Don't worry about any of that, Kattie," Ethan interrupted smoothly, his voice dripping with absolute confidence. "I already called your dad."

​My jaw dropped. "You what?"