Chapter 3

The next morning, Sienna got up early and began packing.

She'd poured her heart into making this house a home. Every piece of furniture, every decoration, even the color of the curtains had been carefully chosen by her.

She'd once believed this would be the home she and Tristan would share forever.

But now she was leaving.

She initially packed three large suitcases, then realized she couldn't take that much with her.

So she started getting rid of things.

Clothes she rarely wore went to charity.

Old household items went into the trash.

And every keepsake from their relationship went into the fire.

By the time she'd narrowed everything down to a single twenty-four-inch suitcase, the bedroom door opened.

Tristan emerged in his pajamas, still half asleep.

He stopped when he saw the suitcase in the living room and the signs of her cleaning.

“What are you doing?”

Sienna paused briefly, then looked up with a perfectly natural smile.

“Nothing much. We've accumulated so much stuff, and it's been ages since I last cleaned everything out. I figured I'd do some decluttering. Donate what I don't need and throw away the rest.”

Tristan studied her calm expression, then glanced at the things she'd sorted out.

That uneasy feeling crept back into his chest.

Was she really just decluttering?

He was about to ask when his phone rang.

It was a distinctive ringtone.

His expression changed almost imperceptibly.

He picked up his phone and stepped onto the balcony to answer.

“Yeah, I'm up. What's going on?”

Sienna lowered her head and continued organizing her suitcase, seemingly oblivious to the conversation.

Tristan's hushed voice drifted in from the balcony.

“Skiing? No, thanks. Sienna and I have other plans today.

“I said I'm not going. So what if you've already bought the tickets? Willa, why do you always make decisions without asking anyone?”

Whatever Willa said next made him fall silent.

A moment later, he hung up and returned, looking conflicted.

Sienna looked up with a smile.

“What's wrong? Something come up?”

Tristan hesitated before answering.

“It's Willa. She said she wanted to thank us for giving her a ride yesterday, so she insisted on treating us to a day of skiing. She's already bought the tickets.”

He paused.

“I told her we weren't going, but you know how stubborn she can be.”

Sienna watched him.

He was talking about refusing the invitation, but she hadn't missed the fleeting anticipation in his eyes.

He wanted Willa to invite him.

He wanted to see her again.

Sometimes, Sienna couldn't help feeling that she'd failed miserably.

Eight years.

Almost three thousand days and nights of devotion.

And none of it had been enough to win a man's wholehearted love.

Love really was a strange and cruel thing.

Back when she'd loved Tristan, realizing this would have devastated her. She would've lain awake night after night, her heart aching.

But now she no longer loved him.

All she felt was a little foolish, a little amused at herself, and strangely relieved.

“Sure,” she said with an easy smile. “It's been ages since I went skiing anyway. Let's go.”

Tristan clearly hadn't expected her to agree so readily.

He stared at her for a moment before visibly relaxing, a faint smile appearing on his face.

“Great. I'll go get changed, and we can head out in a bit.”

When they arrived at the ski resort, Sienna and Tristan quickly realized this wasn't so much a thank-you outing as a double date.

Willa hadn't come alone.

She'd brought a man with her.

He was tall and reasonably handsome, dressed in professional ski gear, and clearly attentive to Willa.

“Tristan! Sienna! You're here!”

Willa greeted them with a bright smile and affectionately linked arms with the man beside her.

“Let me introduce you. This is Nathan Walker. He was an upperclassman at my university. Nathan, this is Tristan Lawrence, the guy I told you about, and his girlfriend, Sienna Sawyer.”

“Nice to meet you.” Sienna greeted him with a polite nod.

But the moment Tristan saw Willa holding Nathan's arm, his expression darkened.

Still, he was here as Sienna's boyfriend, so he couldn't openly show his displeasure.

He merely gave Nathan a curt nod before turning his attention to Sienna.

“Are you cold? Make sure your gloves are on properly.

“Let's warm up first. You don't want to pull a muscle.

“Here, I'll teach you. Keep your center of gravity low and bend your knees slightly.”

He was patient and gentle as he taught her.

But Sienna could tell his mind was elsewhere.

His gaze kept drifting toward Willa and Nathan nearby.

Every time Willa smiled at something Nathan said, every time Nathan carefully adjusted her skis, every time they glided down the slope side by side, looking perfectly comfortable together, Tristan's expression grew a little darker.

Even the atmosphere around him seemed to grow colder.

Then Willa appeared to lose her balance and fell laughing into Nathan's arms.

Tristan's grip on his ski pole suddenly tightened.

Crack!

With a sharp snap, the sturdy pole broke in his hand.

Sharp wooden splinters dug into his palm, and blood immediately welled from the wound.

“Tristan.”

Sienna called his name.

Only then did Tristan snap back to reality.

He looked down at his bleeding palm, his expression growing even uglier.

“I'm fine,” he said hoarsely, shaking his hand. “I accidentally broke it. I'm going to get this cleaned up.”

He hurried toward the lodge, his retreating figure radiating barely suppressed anger and embarrassment.

Sienna watched him go.

Then she glanced toward Willa, who was being helped to her feet by Nathan, her face bright with laughter.

She felt perfectly calm.

If anything, she was getting bored.

She had no interest in participating in some rivalry between two women, much less being used as a pawn in Tristan and Willa's emotional games.

She pulled on her goggles and prepared to find an easy slope where she could ski by herself.

“Sienna.”

But Willa skied over and stopped in front of her.

She removed her goggles, revealing a brilliant smile.

The appraisal and challenge in her eyes were anything but subtle.

“Isn't skiing alone boring? Honestly, what's Tristan thinking, leaving you here all by yourself?”

She sounded sympathetic, but her gaze drifted toward the lodge.

“Then again, I can't really blame him. He's always cared about me more than anyone else. Seeing me with another man must've upset him.”

She smiled knowingly.

“After all these years, he's still exactly the same. He hasn't changed a bit.”

Sienna removed her own goggles and looked at her without expression.

Willa continued.

“Actually, I should thank you, Sienna. You've spent the last eight years keeping Tristan company and taking care of him. Thanks to you, he didn't have to be too lonely while I was away.”

She paused, her smile deepening.

“But now I'm back. And don't you think it's time certain things were returned to their rightful owner?

“Just look at him. Even after hurting himself, he couldn't spare a thought for you. All he cared about was how upset he felt.

“I've always been the only woman in his heart.”

Sienna listened quietly.

Then a small smile gradually spread across her face.

She nodded in agreement.

“You're right. Good for you.”