Chapter 3

I stood there, cheeks burning, frozen like a glitching robot.

Ethan watched my face cycle through a dozen emotions, the smile in his eyes growing wider. Clearly, he found my struggle hilarious.

He didn't push it, though. He got out of the car, came up behind me, and naturally took my suitcase. "I'll take it," he said.

His hands were striking, long, well-shaped, with distinct knuckles and neatly trimmed nails. They were the kind of hands that instantly make you like someone.

Instinctively, I glanced at the back seat, wanting to open the back door and sit there to keep a bit of distance.

But Ethan was faster. He opened the front passenger door, turned slightly, and made a polite gesture. "Hop in, it's warm inside," he said, gentlemanly and courteous.

I couldn't refuse, so I lowered my head and obediently took the passenger seat.

The car was cozy, with the heater blasting and a subtle cedar scent in the air, refreshing and inviting.

I sat rigidly, hands pressed to my knees, back straight as a board, like a student called out by the teacher.

This was the first time in my life I'd been alone in such a cramped space with a guy I'd barely spoken to, and he was drop-dead gorgeous.

I was so nervous, my palms were slick with sweat.

Ethan seemed to pick up on how tense I was. He didn't say a word, simply put on some music.

Soft, soothing instrumental tunes drifted through the car, melting away the awkwardness between us.

As he fastened his seatbelt, he spoke gently, making casual conversation. "You've been up north for seven years. Are you getting used to being back?"

"I'm, I'm okay," I mumbled, still too shy to meet his eyes.

"So, are you planning to stick around for the long haul?" Ethan asked.

"Yeah, I quit my job and moved back. I'll be in Harbor City from now on," I replied.

He gave a soft "mm" and didn't ask anything else, simply kept driving quietly.

I stole a look at the side of his face.

The streetlights flickered past, playing light and shadow across his features. His lashes were so long they cast gentle shadows, and his jawline was clean and striking.

Honestly, he was almost too good-looking to be real.

I was completely mesmerized, staring at him, when his phone suddenly went off.

The screen lit up, and I accidentally caught a glimpse. A girl's name popped up. Vivian Lane.

Ethan glanced at it, his brow furrowing ever so slightly, but he ignored the call.

The caller wasn't giving up. She kept calling, three times in a row.

In the end, Ethan switched his phone to silent and shoved it into the glove compartment.

Out of nowhere, my heart gave a sudden lurch.

Is she his girlfriend? Or someone crushing on him?

The atmosphere in the car instantly turned a bit awkward.

As I was wondering if I should say something to break the silence, my phone suddenly started buzzing like crazy.

It was my bestie, Sophie Taylor, blowing up my phone with five or six voice messages in the middle of the night.

My heart skipped a beat. She never messages me at this hour unless something big is happening.

I was scrambling to turn the voice messages into text, but in my panic, I hit the wrong button and ended up blasting them out loud in the car.

Sophie's frantic voice suddenly exploded in the silent cabin. [For crying out loud. How are there guys in this world who can't even get it up?

[The guy I've been chasing for half a year, my so-called unattainable crush, turned out to be totally useless. We were halfway out of our clothes, and you have no idea how hopeless I felt.

[Stella, remember this. Next time you get a boyfriend, make sure you take him for a test drive first. Otherwise, you'll have nowhere to cry when things go wrong.

[What's the point of being handsome? What's the point of having a great body? If he can't actually perform, none of it matters.]

I fell silent.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

I froze, blood rushing straight to my head, my face burning so hot you could fry an egg on it.

I scrambled to grab my phone, but the more I panicked, the worse it got. It slipped right out of my hand and landed at my feet.

Sophie's voice messages kept playing, one after another. Every word was a direct hit, and it was absolute social suicide.

I was ready to throw open the car door and launch myself off this planet to escape the embarrassment.

I awkwardly snatched up my phone, smashed the screen dark, and buried my head so deep I was basically staring at my shoes.

I stiffly picked up my phone, pressed hard to turn off the screen, and buried my head low, pretending to stare at the tips of my shoes.

I stole a sideways glance at Ethan as he drove.

His face stayed perfectly calm, eyes locked on the road, acting like he hadn't heard a single word.

But I clearly saw it. His lips twitched upward for a split second before he quickly forced them back down.

Keep pretending. Just keep pretending.

I screamed in my head, dying of embarrassment and wishing I could crawl into a hole and disappear.