Chapter 2

I stayed at the hotel by myself for two days.

On the third day I lined up a new place and planned to move in soon.

In those two days, I didn't reach out to Ethan once.

And as if we had an understanding, he didn't send me a single message either.

That evening, just as I left work, the sky opened up.

Ethan broke the silence by showing up to pick me up.

But the moment I got in, I saw Mia sitting in the passenger seat.

I froze, suddenly not knowing what to do with myself.

"Nora, you're Ethan's girlfriend? No way."

Mia didn't seem the least bit awkward. "I always figured Ethan went for the petite, cutesy type. Who'd have guessed."

She stuck out her tongue, playful.

Cute.

And so fake it made my skin crawl.

"You don't mind, do you? Sorry, the rain's just awful, I couldn't get a car, so I had to bother Ethan."

Her smile was bright.

Ethan glanced back at me in the rear seat, soaked through and miserable.

"Pass Nora a towel."

Mia hummed in answer and pulled out a towel with practiced ease, pressing it into my hands.

"Dry off quick, don't catch a cold."

I took it. Something sat heavy in my chest, suffocating.

As the car crawled forward, Ethan asked, "Is the AC too cold?"

I thought he was asking me and opened my mouth to answer, but then Mia sneezed. "Yeah, my legs are practically frozen."

She glanced down at her bare legs.

Ethan's eyes flicked over and landed on the thin blanket draped across my lap.

I'd bought it just days earlier.

"Nora, Mia's in a skirt. Give her the blanket."

Then he reached over and nudged the temperature up a few degrees.

His face was perfectly calm, like he was asking for something completely ordinary.

But it felt like a needle straight through my heart. I couldn't speak.

A second later, I grabbed the blanket off my lap and handed it to Mia.

The car crossed the bridge. My hotel was coming up.

Mia turned and winked at me.

"Ethan said it's a little chilly tonight, perfect for hot pot at his place. Want to join?"

"Come on. Hot pot for two always feels like it's missing something anyway."

My heart skipped a beat.

Her tone, her face, like she and Ethan were the real couple, practically a little married pair.

And I was the outsider.

I shook my head and spoke straight to Ethan. "Just pull over up ahead."

The rain kept falling late into the night.

The next morning I got up early and dragged my heavy suitcase out, only to find Ethan standing at the door.

"I came the second the rain stopped."

Something anxious flickered in his eyes.

He took the suitcase from my hand. "I know you were upset yesterday."

"Was it because Mia rode up front? Or because I didn't let you stay over three days ago?"

As he spoke, he reached out and pinched the tip of my nose.

Affectionate, like always.

"You little grump. She's just a friend from way back, out here on her own trying to make it in the city. Of course I help where I can."

"There's nothing going on. I've thought of her as a kid sister since we were little."

"Once she books a repair guy and her AC's fixed, she'll move out."

"Kid sister?"

I threw the words back at him.

"Do kid sisters move in for the night and talk to you for hours during the day?"

"Do kid sisters get a homemade lunch packed for them every single day?"

I fought to keep myself steady, but my voice still came out rough.

"Ethan, the whole office is saying Mia's got a boyfriend, that she takes long calls in the break room every chance she gets."

"That boyfriend everyone's whispering about. It's you, isn't it?"

My voice went cold. "She used to eat in the cafeteria. Then suddenly, these last few days, she's bringing lunch from home, and I recognize the container. It's the one I bought for you."

"Three years together, and you never once packed me a lunch, never stayed on the phone with me that long, never played a single game with me."

"But all of it, you did with her."

"Ethan."

I took a deep breath and forced the tears back down.

"Let's break up."

His brows drew together, a flash of displeasure in his eyes.