Chapter 4

I went to the hospital first to get an allergy shot before returning home, where I tossed and turned all night.

Ethan didn't come back until the next morning.

Seeing my haggard face, he was obviously panicked.

"What happened? Are you still feeling bad from drinking last night?"

"I'm sorry. I should have stayed with you, but I called you over a dozen times and you didn't answer. I thought you were still angry..."

Right. He thought I was angry, so instead of comforting me, he just left me alone.

But when Harper got angry, he immediately chased after her to placate her, even with me right there.

A bitter smile crossed my lips, but what concerned me more was something else.

"Did you really call me? Then why didn't I receive any calls?"

Ethan looked confused at first, then thought of something and stiffened.

"I drank too much last night and accidentally blocked your number."

His face was full of apology as he reached out to hug me.

"I'm sorry, Nina. I promise it won't happen again."

Smelling the sickly sweet perfume on him, my heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand.

Accidentally? What a coincidence.

Harper must have taken his phone and blocked me on purpose.

Ethan was someone who valued his personal space immensely.

Just like he wouldn't kiss me, he also never let me touch his phone.

He considered it privacy, a boundary that even the closest person couldn't cross.

But I couldn't touch it---Harper could.

A mocking smile tugged at my lips. I suddenly felt utterly exhausted.

Pushing Ethan away, I turned and walked into the kitchen.

Half an hour later, Ethan sat at the dining table, staring at the plate in front of him, his expression growing darker.

"Nina Smith, what's gotten into you today? Just because I didn't take that drink for you last night, you're deliberately retaliating?"

"Why did you use your plate to serve me food? Don't you know I..."

"I don't know!"

I looked up and cut him off.

"Ethan, if you're sick, go get treatment. Don't expect me to accommodate you forever."

"Or if you really can't handle it, we should just break up."

This was the first time I'd mentioned breaking up with him.

Ethan was obviously panicked.

"Nina, that's not what I meant... I was wrong. I shouldn't have snapped at you over something so small."

"But you should understand me too. Germophobia is a psychological condition. It's not that I don't want to overcome it---I genuinely can't..."

Can't overcome it? I don't think so.

When he was kissing Harper so passionately, where was his germophobia then?

I lowered my eyes to hide the sarcasm in them. I didn't want to say another word to him.

"Whatever. If you can't eat it, just order takeout."

Seeing that I had no intention of giving him an out, Ethan lost his temper too.

He stood up abruptly. The plates and forks on the table scattered across the floor with his movement.

"Nina Smith, what's your problem? Are you giving me the silent treatment now?"

"I used to think Harper had a bad temper, but now I think a bad temper is actually good. At least she voices her needs."

"Unlike you---you never say anything, making people guess all day long!"