Ethan grabbed her wrist and pushed her away.
“If you don’t want to be here, don’t ever come back.” He stormed out, the pressure in his
chest threatening to explode. He strode into the
elevator, down to the lobby, and out to his car.
The roar of the engine brought a sliver of sanity
back. What was he doing? Where was he
going? He knew she wasn’t in DC. He knew
she’d taken all her things from his apartment.
He knew she was in Miami… He slammed his
fist against the steering wheel, the horn blaring,
shattering the quiet night.
His phone rang. He swiped to answer. His
mother’s voice, calm and elegant, filled the car.
“Ethan, when are you coming to dinner? Bring
Ashley with you.”
“Not likely.”
“What’s wrong?”
“We had a fight. She’s not talking to me.
-11.
<
Blocked me, actually.”
His mother laughed. “I’ll call her then. What did
you do to her this time? She seems really
upset.”
Ethan fiddled with his lighter. “How would I
know?”
After the call, he tossed the phone aside, then
his gaze landed on Ashley’s necklace, the one
she’d left behind. The diamond was small. Her
birthday was in November. Soon. He’d buy her
an 11.8–carat diamond ring. He’d go public.
He’d propose.
- 9.
David returned to the hotel room with bags in
hand. I was wrapped in a blanket, sitting on the
balcony, lost in thought. He handed me a drink.
“Best Hong Kong milk tea in town. Try it.”
<
“Thanks,” I murmured, taking the drink and
glancing up at him. The Miami weather had
turned, the rain cold and relentless. David had
only been wearing a light jacket, his ears
slightly pink from the chill. “You should have
some too, warm up.”
“Sure.” He didn’t reach for the drinks. Instead,
he came up behind me and wrapped his arms
around me, his lips brushing against my ear.
“Shouldn’t I be sharing your milk tea?”
I turned to protest, but he silenced me with a
kiss, the sweetness of the milk tea lingering on
our lips. The cup tumbled to the floor, spilling
onto the carpet. Outside, the rain fell. Inside, a
different kind of storm was brewing.
I avoided his gaze, the intensity in his eyes
unnerving. He was usually so controlled, but
now…
I hid my face against his shoulder.
く
“Ashley…” he chuckled, his voice husky, pulling
me closer, his kisses growing softer. I saw our
reflection in the glass doors, blurred and
distorted.
Much later, after David had showered and I was
leaning against the headboard, he came back
and gently helped me into a bathrobe. As he
dried my hair, a strand fell across my face. I
reached up to tuck it behind my ear, but David’s hand was already there.
“Thanks,” I mumbled again.
He sighed. “Ashley, must you be so polite with
me?”
I didn’t know how to answer. Despite what had just happened, it still felt surreal. The taste of milk tea lingered on my tongue, taking me back to a winter night years ago.
We’d been studying late, and the streets were
Г
dark and empty. David had happened to be passing by. “Hey, Ashley. Fancy meeting you here.” He’d been wearing a dark coat, a rare smile on his face. He’d walked me home, and we shared a roasted sweet potato. It was snowing, the wind biting cold. He’d stood between me and the wind, our foreheads
brushing for a brief moment. Back then, I thought it was the start of something sweet. But fate had other ideas.
Now, years later, history was repeating itself, a
cruel twist of fate. I felt like a coward, unable to let him see the shame and pain of my past.
