Chapter 6
The passenger seat was decked out in the color in Harper hated most: plak:
It was covered with teddy bear plushies and even had a sticker that read.“Izhar’s Girlfriend’s Spot.”
I couldn’t help but chuurkle faintly,
He used to complain about how childish stuff like this was all the time.
I struggled to slide out of his inrms and, welchout a word, opened the door to the backseat and climbed in,
Ts hard to get a cab this late.”
“Thanks for the Tide, Mr. Harper,” I said, my tone defiberately detached.
Ethan opened his month to say something out then closed it again, his expression unreadable. He stayed quiet as he drove me to the hospital and got me into the ER
The glass had cut deep.
They had to carefully remove the shards, and stitches were inevitable.
Because I’d been drinking, the doctor advised against using anesthesia.
Ithan, however, immediately protested. “No, that’s not an option. She’s terrified of pain
He wasn’t wrong. I’d been scared of needles and pain for as long as I could remember.
Back when we were together, even getting a simple shot would have me shaking like a leaf and crying into his chest.
But this time, I placed a calming hand on his arm and said softly. “It’s fine. Just do it, doc.”
Dthan stared at me for what felt like forever.
“Grace… you’ve changed a lot.”
I gave him a weak smile.
“What choice did I have? You learn to adapt when you’re on you
Ethan fell silent again. I could tell he was feeling guilty, which was exactly what I wasted.
Sure enough, when we left the hospital, he broke the silence.
“So.. where are you staying? take you there.”
“Any hotel will do,” I replied.
Dhan frowned, his grip on the steering wheel tightening
“What about the house I gave you when we sp
“I didn’t take it. The card you left me? I gave that to Ivy.”
Ethan slammed on the brakes, pulling the car to a sharp stop by the side of the road.
He turned to look at me, his expression somewhere between disbelief and anger.
I met his gaze calmly.
“I didn’t want anything from you, I didn’t want a reason to hold onto the past.”
“What’s wrong? Ivy didn’t tell you?”
Ivy was clever. She knew how to make a man feel secure in letting go of his ex.
There was no way she’d tell hand refosed his so called “compensation“
Ethan didn’t answer. He closed his eyes for a moment before speaking.
“I have an apartment nearby. You can stay there for now.”
“No.” My refusal was immediate and flrm
“Grace, don’t be stubborn.”
“I’m not. I just don’t want Caleb to finil me.“
That seemed to shut him up.
He hesitated, then said. “Time. I won’t tell Caleb you’re staying with me.”
I didn’t respond, which he took as agreement.
He drove me to his apartment without another word.
Once Ethan left, I pulled out my phone. While walking in earlier, I’d discreetly snapped a photo.
The image was simple: my bandaged hand resting on the couch.
But in the corner of the frame, blurred but unmistakable, was a hand wearing a very f
familiar ring.
It was hy’s ring
Everyone knew she’d given it to Ethan
I opened Instagram Stories, uploaded the photo, and set the visibility.
Only Caleb Monroe could see it
