Chapter 2

Sienna

Maybe out of guilt for buying the exact same necklace twice, Ethan offered to drive me to work the next morning.

Too drained to argue, I agreed.

Down in the garage, Ethan froze in front of his car, his brows pulling into a tight knot.

He'd spent years refusing to let me ride in his passenger seat, even pushing me to buy my own car after we kept fighting over it.

But looking through his window now, the front seat was packed with pastel plushies, pink cup holders, and cute decals. The seat cushion had even been customized for Chloe's tiny frame.

Seeing me wait, Ethan awkwardly unlocked the door and began shoving the stuffed animals into the back.

"Never mind," I frowned. "I'll just drive myself."

"Let's go together," Ethan said, tossing the last plushie behind him. "Chloe's just young and playful. Don't take it personally."

Looking at the tacky pink setup that completely ruined the car's interior, I felt a knot in my stomach.

I reached for my own car handle, but Ethan quickly stepped in front of me and slid into my driver's seat. "I'll drive your car then. We agreed."

I caught his brief look of discomfort. So he did know how inappropriate his car looked.

"We're going to be late," I cut off his upcoming excuse. "Just drive."

At a red light, his phone chimed with a custom ringtone. He tapped speakerphone, and a pitiful, tearful voice echoed through the car.

"Ethan... my stomach hurts so bad. I think those late-night drinks yesterday got me sick. Can you take me to urgent care? Please hurry..."

The moment the call ended, Ethan didn't even look at me. He pulled over to the curb and unbuckled my seatbelt himself.

"An employee needs medical help," he said, his tone leaving zero room for argument. "We're almost at your office. You can walk the rest of the way."

Before my door could even latch shut behind me, Ethan hit the gas and sped off into traffic.