Chapter 2

When Ezra got home, he didn't sit on the couch and wait up for Odette like he used to. He simply freshened up and went straight to bed.

He was drifting in and out of sleep when he caught the scent of perfume. He opened his eyes to find that Odette had come home at some point and was standing by the bed, staring at him without blinking.

He hadn't expected her to come back tonight, and surprise flickered across his face. "What are you doing home?"

Odette's eyes darkened, and her voice went cold. "You're awfully relaxed about this, Ezra. I'm out with another man, and you can still sleep?"

It took Ezra a moment to catch on, and he let out a soft scoff. "He's not a stranger. He's just your dear little brother, so why should I worry?"

Hearing her own words thrown back at her, Odette was speechless for a moment. She came closer and leaned down over him. "Are you still upset about me and Rafe—"

"No." Ezra fought back the discomfort of having her so close and cut her off. "That's all in the past, isn't it?"

"Then why didn't you call and tell me to come home? Why didn't you wait up for me?" She nuzzled into the crook of his neck.

"You never used to go to sleep until I got home, and now you won't even leave a light on for me. I—"

Ezra cut her off, a flicker of impatience in his eyes. "Didn't you say that was annoying?"

Odette stopped short, and every word caught in her throat. She clearly remembered all those ugly fights too. She opened her mouth, and her voice softened.

"An emergency came in today, so I didn't stay at Rafe's long. If it bothers you this much, from now on, I'll keep my distance from him. Don't be mad anymore, okay?"

Ezra had heard that promise more times than he could count.

In the past, he would've argued with her and gone through every way she and Rafe crossed the line, along with every hurt he'd swallowed. But now it all felt pointless, and he couldn't be bothered to say more than a half-hearted reply. "Got it. Can we go to sleep now?"

Odette's expression stiffened for a split second, then she pressed a hand to her stomach as if to win his sympathy. "My stomach hurts. Could you make me some soup?"

Whenever Odette used to come home from a late shift, Ezra would make her a bowl of chicken noodle soup, and having something hot always eased her stomachaches a little. But once the love and concern were gone, all that was left was irritation at being woken up.

Ezra burrowed deeper under the blanket and turned his back to her. "I'm tired, and I have to get up early tomorrow to take care of my mom. Make it yourself. Close the door on your way out."

Silence hung behind him. After a long while, heavy footsteps sounded, and the door slammed shut. The bedroom went quiet again, and the faint sound of a car starting drifted up from downstairs. Ezra rolled over and fell back asleep.

The next morning, he got up early, packed the soup he'd made into a container, and took a cab to the hospital.

Maureen looked much better, and when she saw Ezra, she scolded him gently. "Why didn't you sleep in? I have a caregiver here, so you don't need to keep running over. Now that you and Odette are remarried, focus on building a life together."

Ezra gave a low hum in reply and poured her a bowl of soup.

Back when Maureen started treatment, Ezra had pretended he still wasn't over Odette and wanted to remarry her so his mother could focus on getting better, and only then had she stopped standing in his way.

After the remarriage, he only ever told Maureen the good news, so she believed he and Odette had patched things up. Only Ezra knew this marriage had been over in all but name for a long time, and he was simply waiting for his chance to leave Odette for good.

Not wanting to talk about Odette any further, Ezra used paying the hospital bill as an excuse to step out of the room. He had just reached the hallway when he saw Rafe carrying Odette into the ER in a hurry.

A young nurse holding a patient chart spoke up. "What happened to Dr. Fairbanks? Is that the cute younger husband everyone's been talking about?"

"I heard it's a ruptured ovarian cyst." The nurse at the front desk grinned.

"Dr. Fairbanks sure has stamina. She got called in for an emergency in the middle of the night, operated for five hours straight, and didn't get home to rest until almost dawn. She's barely been home since then, and now this. Younger guys really are something else. He clearly doesn't hold back."

The two nurses exchanged a knowing look and giggled.

Ezra looked away, unmoved, and turned to head back to the room, only to lock eyes with Odette the moment he turned around.