Chapter 4

Ethan hadn't been able to reach Chloe for a full month.

His calls went unanswered. His texts disappeared into nothing. Every app showed the same thing: blocked.

He sat on the wide hotel bed and tossed his phone aside in irritation.

He was still angry.

Angry that she was being so immature. Angry that she was being so unreasonable.

He was sure that once he got home and offered her a little olive branch, she'd come right back the way she always had. But this time, he'd decided, he wasn't going to give in so easily.

Knock knock knock.

Ethan got up and opened the door. Tiffany was standing in the hall.

She was in a thin silk nightgown, her hair a mess, a pillow clutched to her chest.

"Chief..." Her voice wobbled, and she looked up at him with big pitiful eyes. "I keep having nightmares when I sleep alone. Can I stay here for a little while? I'll take the couch. I won't bother you."

Ethan's first instinct was to close the door. "That's not a good idea, Tiffany. Go back to your room."

"Please, Chief!" She grabbed the door frame and held on. "I'm really scared. There's thunder."

He looked at her standing there, so small and miserable, and in the end he caved.

He sighed and stepped aside. "Come in. I'll take the couch."

Tiffany climbed obediently into the bed and burrowed under the covers until only her eyes showed, bright in the dark, watching him.

The room was so quiet he could hear them both breathing.

"Chief, are you asleep?" Her voice was very clear in the dark, with an excitement she couldn't quite hide.

"Yes." Ethan rolled over. He didn't put much into it.

"That session today was so interesting. I can't believe someone that famous would..." She kept chattering.

There was a time when Ethan had found that kind of bright, young voice refreshing. A little spice in his life. Now it grated on him so badly he could barely stand it.

He felt around for his phone and called Chloe again. Busy signal.

Tiffany picked up on his mood, and her voice dropped. "Are you calling Chloe? She's not picking up? Is she mad at you?"

Ethan's grip tightened on the phone. He forced his voice to come out cold. "Forget her. Let her cool off. She'll be fine in a few days."

Tiffany didn't say anything else, and the room went dead quiet again.

•   *   *

Two days later, Ethan was packing for his flight back to New York when his phone rang.

The second he picked up, a slurred voice started complaining.

"Ethan, man, that's not cool! You got married and didn't invite me?"

"I had to find out from Chloe's Instagram! That's cold!"

Ethan froze. His hand started to shake. "What Instagram? Chloe? Send it to me."

The guy on the other end seemed to realize something was wrong. He sounded awkward now. "Wait, you didn't know? I thought... okay. I'll screenshot it."

A few seconds later, the pictures came through.

Ethan tapped the first one. The location tag said Hawaii.

The first photo was the ocean, so blue it was almost clear, sparkling.

The second was the floor-to-ceiling window of a luxury oceanfront hotel.

The third was a set of custom wedding favors.

The fourth was Chloe and Mia, both in wedding dresses.

The fifth...

The fifth was Chloe from behind, in a white gown.

She was standing on the sand, the wind lifting her veil. She looked so beautiful it hurt.

Ethan's mind went completely blank.