Chapter 6

"I woke up this morning and found you on the floor. I couldn't get you to respond no matter what I tried, so I brought you to the bed."

"Is that so..."

I sat up, guilt written all over me.

The back of my neck, all the way up to my skull, ached dully.

Had I cracked my head against the bed frame when I fell? Knocked myself out?

I was still trying to piece it together when Ethan asked, "So, Zoe — why were you in my room?"

"Oh, I... I, um..."

I glanced at him instinctively.

His expression was the same as always — that familiar, measured warmth. But with the light behind him, his eyes were dark and unreadable, almost bottomless.

I touched the tip of my nose and found I couldn't quite meet his gaze.

"I wanted to talk to you... I came in and saw you were already asleep, so I was just going to leave... but then I slipped somehow and I must've hit something, because I just went out cold."

"I see."

His voice was unhurried.

He looked down, showing nothing.

I swallowed nervously.

Then he said, "If you came to talk, why did you tie my hands?"

I blinked.

Watched in frozen silence as he pulled the tie out from under his pillow.

My heart leapt into my throat.

Of course. In my panicked scramble to escape, I'd completely forgotten to untie it.

My mind was racing.

I didn't know, until this moment, just how convincing a liar I could be when I had to.

"That's your gift," I said, and managed a small smile.

"You were already asleep, so I thought I'd surprise you."

"Is that right?"

Ethan smiled.

He reached out and ruffled my hair.

"What an interesting way to wrap a gift. I love it. Thank you."

"Of course. No problem."

I brushed him off with two words and fled back to my own room.

In the bathroom, I kept splashing cold water on my face.

What was I thinking? What did I just do?

I stared at my reflection.

After a long moment, I frowned and leaned in closer.

Why were my lips still so swollen?

Was I running a fever? Was this some kind of cold sore?

I hesitated for half a minute.

Then I took out my phone and ordered two tins of chamomile tea.

I couldn't tell whether Ethan believed me.

He was sharp. He always had been.

And I couldn't quite hold myself together.

Whenever I sat near him, my eyes kept drifting to his lips without my permission. By the time I caught myself, he was already watching me.

I was a mess inside. Like something had taken root and wouldn't stop growing.

So I escaped to Lily's place for a few days.

Lily, true to form, could see I was struggling. She refused to let me sulk and dragged me out shopping, insisting she'd cover everything.

By the time we left the shopping center, I was carrying several bags. Then she hauled me off to a nail salon.

We were crossing the street when I spotted a familiar face.

Not because I had a particularly good memory — but a woman that striking just wasn't easy to forget.

She was in a white knit dress today, her figure elegant and delicate. She had her arm hooked through a man's, talking close to him, entirely at ease.

Lily followed my gaze.

"Who's that?"

"Ethan's blind date. Currently in the middle of something with him."

The words had barely left my mouth before the woman dipped her head and, using the man's hand as a guide, bit a piece off the ice cream cone he'd already bitten into. A pretty smile spread across her face.

"You're serious?" Lily's jaw dropped.

I'd already pulled her behind a tree. I had my camera open and was snapping away.

"Are you sure she's actually with your brother?"

"Positive." My voice came out bitter. "I'm not making it up. By last week, they were texting about which neighborhood to buy a flat in."

"Oh-ho." Lily bumped my shoulder. "You know that because you went through his phone while he was asleep again?"

"...Don't ask. The point is I know."

"Sure, sure."

Lily took a long sip of her coffee.

"For what it's worth, I wouldn't bite into the same ice cream cone as anyone who wasn't my boyfriend. If she really is stringing your brother along — then things just got very interesting."