Chapter 2

For a moment, I thought I had misunderstood him.

My hand was still stretched between us.

“Excuse me?”

Ethan slipped Julia’s key into his pocket. “She’s had it since we were kids, Claire. I’m not taking it away because one awkward situation made you uncomfortable.”

“She entered our house without calling.”

“There was an emergency.”

“She was in our bedroom wearing your shirt.”

“I already told you nothing happened.”

“And I already told you that isn’t the point.”

Julia stood at the bottom of the stairs with her arms folded over her chest.

I looked at Ethan.

“This is our home. I should know who can walk into it whenever they want.”

“You know Julia has always had a key.”

“No. I found out five minutes ago.”

His jaw tightened. “She’s practically family.”

The words landed harder than I expected.

“Then what does that make me?”

Ethan looked away first.

“You’re turning this into something it isn’t.”

Julia reached for her purse and began removing the silver key from her ring.

“I don’t want to cause trouble between you two,” she said softly. “Ethan, just give her the key.”

But she was looking at him, not me.

Ethan took the key from her before she could hold it out.

“No,” he said. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Julia lowered her eyes.

I watched her hide a smile.

She went upstairs and returned a few minutes later in her damp dress. Ethan’s white shirt was folded over her arm.

“I should get going,” she said. “I can call a car.”

“You almost fainted earlier,” Ethan replied. “I’m driving you.”

I glanced at the cake and the gift waiting by the door.

“It’s our anniversary.”

“I know.”

“Lily is staying with my sister. I made dinner reservations.”

“I said I know, Claire.” Ethan grabbed his car keys. “I’ll take Julia home and be back in twenty minutes.”

Julia touched his arm. “You don’t have to.”

“Yes, I do.”

That answer wasn’t meant for me, but it told me everything.

“If you walk out with her tonight,” I said, “don’t call this a misunderstanding.”

Ethan stopped with his hand on the door.

For one hopeful second, I thought he might finally see what he was doing.

Then he opened it.

Julia paused beside me.

“Happy anniversary, Claire.”

The door closed behind them.

Twenty minutes passed.

Then forty.

At seven, the restaurant called to ask whether we still wanted our table.

I canceled it.

The blue dress remained crushed on our bed. The cake stayed unopened. Across the dining table, Ethan’s empty chair faced mine.

I sent one message.

Are you coming home?

His reply arrived ten minutes later.

Julia’s still shaken. I’ll be a little longer.

Before I could put my phone down, another message appeared.

This one was from Julia.

I told him to go home. He chose to stay.

I stared at the sentence until the screen blurred.

Then I took a screenshot.

At eight thirty, the front door opened.

My sister stepped inside with Lily, who was hugging her stuffed rabbit.

“She couldn’t sleep without this,” my sister explained. Her smile faded when she saw the untouched cake. “Where’s Ethan?”

Before I could answer, Lily ran to the dining room.

“Daddy?”

The house gave her nothing back.

She returned and slipped her small hand into mine.

“Where is he, Mommy?”

I swallowed.

“He’s helping Aunt Julia.”

Lily looked at the cake, then at Ethan’s empty chair.

“Does Daddy sleep at Aunt Julia’s house now?”