Chapter Two

The hope and nerves in his eyes didn’t look fake.

I lifted my head and looked at myself in the mirror. My face was pale, my nose red from retching.

“I’m not pregnant. I probably caught a chill. My stomach’s just upset.”

A second later, his warm, dry palm was on my stomach, rubbing gently.

What he said was as sweet and considerate as ever. “Honey, I’m not going in to the office today.”

“I’ll take you to see a doctor first, and then we’ll go get dessert. I’m all yours today.”

I didn’t say anything, and let him take that as a yes.

Telling a lie is easy. Remembering it every second is the hard part.

Like now. He forgot that his phone had supposedly “died in water,” and answered a call right in front of me.

When he hung up, he realized what he’d done. His lips moved like he was about to explain.

I changed the subject.

“Sebastian, I just remembered I’ve got classes today. I can’t call in. Pull over up ahead—I’ll get a cab to school.”

He paused, then put on a mock-hurt tone. “Honey, you didn’t call me babe just now.”

I turned to look out the window. “I’m going to be late. Pull over.”

He didn’t slow down. “I’ll drive you to school.”

I pressed my lips together and didn’t answer.

In the quiet car, his phone rang again.

He glanced at it and quickly hit decline.

It rang again. He declined again.

After several rounds of this, a new message popped up on the screen.

Sebastian looked at it, and his expression shifted.

When he turned to me, he sounded hesitant. “Honey, there’s an emergency at work. I need to deal with it right away. I don’t think I can drop you off.”

I smiled, all understanding. “Work comes first. Go ahead. It’s easy for me to grab a cab.”

The second I got out, he hit the gas.

The black Maybach shot off like an arrow.

The smell of exhaust still hung in the air. I flagged down a taxi and followed him.

His car headed straight out of the city and stopped in front of a house on the water on Long Island.

He’d barely pushed open the gate when someone ran out of the house and threw herself at him.

A woman’s arms wound around his neck.

I couldn’t hear what they were saying.

But I could see his body go from rigid to slowly, gradually relaxed.

Isabella smiled up at him, rose onto her toes, and kissed him.

For a moment, he hesitated. He lifted a hand as if to push her away.

And lost to her sudden tears.

His hand dropped, and came to rest on her waist.

Soon they were wrapped around each other, kissing like they couldn’t bear to stop.

As the taxi pulled away, my eyes misted over.