Chapter 2

The playful young woman was named Samantha White.

The moment Zane and I walked through the door, she called out in her loud, cheerful voice, "I told you his wife was mad! Zane just wouldn't believe me!"

Then she turned to me with a sweet smile, clearly pleased with herself. "Sarah, right? I'm the one who told Zane you were upset. That's why he went after you.

"Otherwise, you'd still be sitting there sulking while this clueless man had no idea what was going on."

She gave me a playful wink, as if we'd been best friends for years.

But all I felt was a wave of discomfort. Since when did the relationship between Zane and me need an outsider sticking her nose into it?

I didn't respond. I simply walked past her and sat down.

Samantha's attempt at friendliness hit a wall, and she stuck out her tongue. "Okay, so you're mad at me too. You still haven't forgiven me."

The other members of the hiking group looked over.

"What did she do to make you mad?"

"Just because Zane slept in the same tent as Samantha? If his wife ever found out about all the other stuff you two have done, she'd blow a gasket!"

Zane slipped an arm around my waist and lightly kicked the guy, laughing as he cursed him out, "Get lost. Don't make shit up.

"Sarah's not part of the hiking crowd. She doesn't understand how we do things. Keep talking like that, and she's really going to think there's something going on between Samantha and me."

My brows drew tighter with every word.

I couldn't help grabbing Zane's arm. "What other stuff?"

"There isn't anything else." Zane ran his fingers through my hair, his voice affectionate. "Come on, don't listen to their bullshit."

Samantha quickly jumped in to back him up. "Really, girl. There's nothing going on.

"I only sleep in the same tent as Zane because he smells so good.

"All his clothes smell like clean soap, unlike those other guys who reek after being outside all day. I'm not climbing mountains for 12 hours just to lie down at night and get smoked out of my own sleeping bag."

My stomach turned again.

I was somewhat obsessed with cleanliness, so I always carefully washed Zane's clothes, shoes, and socks myself. I loved the clean, fresh scent that lingered on him.

But hearing another woman talk about that scent made something stick in my throat. It felt as though something private between us had been shared with someone else.

Zane seemed completely oblivious. He even defended her. "Babe, don't take anything Samantha says personally. That's just how she is. She's blunt and careless, but she doesn't mean any harm."

Samantha had already gone back to fooling around with the other hikers.

One of them tickled her slender waist, and she burst into a fit of giggles.

Apparently, this kind of interaction was completely normal in their circle.

Meanwhile, I felt like I was sitting on pins and needles.

When Zane saw me sitting there with a dark expression and refusing to join in, he looked helpless. "Still mad? How about I have Samantha apologize to you?"

I didn't even have time to refuse.

The moment Zane called her over, Samantha came right up with her glass raised. "Girl, there's really nothing between us. We're all just buddies. I've just gotten used to saying whatever comes to mind."

I couldn't help thinking that if she knew she had no filter, why was she still acting so shamelessly today, of all days, when Zane had just gotten married?

But she'd lowered her head first, so I didn't make another scene.

I simply tapped my glass lightly against hers. "Don't let it happen again."