The cold air didn’t cool his anger. Chloe hadn’t
く
called, hadn’t texted. Playing games, is she? he
thought. He blocked her number. Don’t come
crawling back. I won’t be there to catch you.
Liam called as I finished editing my latest
article. I’d been writing for magazines since
college, and it had turned into a decent career.
The flexibility allowed me to work from
anywhere. Leaving LA hadn’t just been about
escaping heartbreak; it was also about
embracing a new chapter.
“Chloe, what do you feel like for dinner?”
Liam’s voice was a soothing balm after a long
afternoon of work.
“My brain is fried. You pick.”
“How about hot pot? There’s this place with
amazing pig brains. You’d love it.”
I always used to order pig brains with hot pot,
but Ethan found it disgusting, so I stopped.
<
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Liam, though, struck me as someone who
preferred lighter fare. “Liam, you don’t have to cater to me. I’m not picky anymore.”
“I actually have a craving for it. Reminds me of
college, that hole–in–the–wall place near
campus. Their pig brains were so tender.”
He’d hit a soft spot. That place was amazing. “Okay, hot pot it is.”
“I’ll pick you up.”
The restaurant was a decades–old, cramped Chongqing hot pot joint, a stark contrast to Liam’s polished appearance. I watched him meticulously wipe down my chair, scald my bowls and chopsticks, and pour me juice. This kind of attentiveness, so casual and natural
from a man like him, felt…new. “Liam, your ex- girlfriend trained you well.”
I
I couldn’t help the comment. Unlike me, who
”
12:09
76
had spent seven years morphing into Ethan’s caretaker, catering to his sensitive stomach and
every whim, Liam seemed to have experienced a different kind of relationship.
Liam looked up from the simmering pot. “Where did you get the idea that I had an ex- girlfriend?”
I blinked. “Weren’t you always with that girl in college? The one you grew up with?”
He laughed. “You mean Sarah? We grew up together, sure, but we never dated. I never liked her that way. She was like a sister.”
“So you haven’t dated anyone all these years?”
He calmly rolled up his sleeves. “I’ve been on
dates, a few short–term things. Nothing
serious.”
“Oh…” I thought about that first night, and his
く
words suddenly seemed much more believable.
“Chloe, I won’t do that again.”
I frowned. “Do what?”
He turned away, his ears bright red, probably
from the steam rising from the pot. “You’ll find
out later.” He placed a spoonful of cooked pig
brains in my bowl. “Eat.”
I found out later, back at the hotel, after he’d
carried me from the bathroom to the bed.
“Liam…” I glared at him, but my eyes were
watery, making the look less effective. My voice
came out as a soft whine.
He leaned down and kissed me softly. “Chloe,
are you comfortable?”
I shook my head, refusing to answer. He didn’t
push it, just continued kissing me, gently,
<
12:09
0000
76
persistently. The sensation built until I was
crying out his name, my nails digging into his back.
“Chloe, tell me now. Are you comfortable?” His
voice was husky, his eyes dark with desire, beads of sweat trickling down his forehead.
Finally, I sobbed, “Yes, comfortable…”
As I drifted off, Liam whispered in my ear, “Chloe, if you’re comfortable…stay with me. Forever. Okay?”
On Mark’s birthday, the gift I’d bought in New York arrived. Ethan sat on the couch, smoking, a half–empty bottle of whiskey in front of him. Liam and I had chosen the gift together: a pair of vintage cufflinks from a high–end brand
Mark loved.
“These are nice,” Mark said, his smile strained
as he glanced at Ethan’s face. He quickly
<
“Let me see those.” Ethan’s voice was sharp.
76
Mark hesitated but handed him the box. Ethan stared at the cufflinks. The brand’s logo was discreet, yet he seemed fixated on it.
“Put them away,” he said, pushing the box aside.
Mark breathed a sigh of relief and reached for
the box, but Ethan suddenly grabbed the empty whiskey bottle and smashed it against the
coffee table. Glass shattered, and a long,
bloody gash appeared on his hand. The room
erupted in chaos.
“What the hell, Ethan?”
“That’s deep. It won’t stop bleeding. We need
to get you to a hospital…”
Ethan stood motionless, his face a mask of
ongor “Chloo nover bought anything from that
>
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376 766
anger. “Chice never bought anything from that
brand.” His voice was low and dangerous.
“So what?” Mark stammered. “She probably just
picked something random. It’s not like it’s your
birthday. Chloe spends months agonizing over
what to get you.”
“Yean, Ethan. You’re way more important to her
then all of us combined. Everyone knows how
much Chloe cares about you, how crazy she is
for you.”
Ethen laughed bitterly. “Cares about me?”
The noisy room gradually fell silent.
“Ethan…maybe I should call Chice?”
“You should get that hand looked at…”
Mark, emboldened, grabbed his phone and
snapped a picture of Ethan’s bleeding hand. He
<
sent it to Chloe. Ethan didn’t stop him, perhaps
too stunned by the impulsive act.
The room held its breath. Seconds later, Mark’s
phone rang. “See? I told you she’s worried sick
about you! Look, Ethan, it’s Chloe!” Mark
beamed, holding out the phone. Ethan turned
away, his expression unreadable.
“I’ll get it, I’ll get it,” Mark said, switching on
speakerphone. Chloe’s voice filled the room,
and Ethan’s jaw tightened.
“Jake, what happened? Are you hurt?”
