Chapter 2

"Trying to play mind games with me? Not going to work."

His expression hardened.

"I'm busy. I don't have time for this."

He lowered his voice.

"Tell the officer you don't want to take this any further."

I stared at him.

Even now, what mattered most to him was whether this would cause trouble for Sienna.

"No."

"I want it documented."

That finally made him look at me.

"You're serious?"

I met his gaze calmly.

"Of course I'm serious."

"And I was serious when I said we're breaking up."

Right on cue, Sienna's eyes filled with tears.

"I'm sorry. This is all my fault. Please don't fight because of me."

"This has nothing to do with you."

Ethan's voice was cold.

Yet somehow, those words made me look like the unreasonable one.

He turned to the officer.

"She was scared. She came to us because she thought someone was following her. Nobody got hurt."

The officer glanced at him.

"That's your statement. She's entitled to give hers."

Ethan's expression visibly darkened.

Then his eyes dropped to my stomach.

"You won't break up with me."

"You can't let go of this relationship."

"And you won't let our child be born into a broken home."

He sounded completely certain.

"Stop making things difficult for Sienna."

"You grew up without a father yourself. You know better than anyone how hard that kind of life is."

My hands clenched into fists.

I'd only ever told him about that.

Back then, his eyes had filled with pain for me. He'd held me and promised he'd never make me suffer that kind of hurt again.

Now he was using my pain—and our child's future—to force me to let Sienna off the hook yet again.

Suddenly, I didn't have the strength to argue with him anymore.

"You're right."

"My child can't be born into a broken home."

Ethan thought I'd finally given in. His expression visibly softened.

"I'm glad you understand."

He turned to the officer.

"Can we just leave now?"

The officer looked at me.

"Ma'am, do you still want your statement included in the incident report?"

I swallowed hard.

"No."

Ethan looked at me again, convinced I'd finally backed down.

His tone softened.

"We'll go to City Hall the day after tomorrow like we planned."

"That designer you like just released a new necklace. I already had someone buy it for you. Consider it my way of making this up to you."

I didn't remind him that our home was already overflowing with gifts he'd bought to "make things up to me."

I didn't remind him that he'd already given me a necklace three days ago because of something else Sienna had done.

And I certainly didn't remind him of one other thing.

Marriage wasn't the only way to make sure my child wasn't born into a broken home.

There was another way.

I could end the pregnancy.

Silently, I took out my phone and scheduled the procedure on a clinic's website.

I picked up my bag and left the police station.

Just as we reached the entrance, a stray dog suddenly burst out of the bushes, barking wildly as it charged toward us.

Instinctively, I reached for Ethan's sleeve.

My hand caught nothing.

By the time security chased the dog away and I collected myself, I saw Ethan holding Sienna in his arms, gently comforting her.

"After all these years, you're still afraid of dogs?"

The summer breeze should have felt warm.

Instead, a chill went through me.

Sienna had invaded our lives again and again, but I'd still believed Ethan loved me most.

I'd believed what we'd had for the past three years was real.

The sight in front of me felt like a slap across the face.

Sienna glanced at me from the corner of her eye.

Her smile widened.

"Is anyone else afraid of dogs?"

Ethan finally looked back at me.

"If you're scared, why didn't you get behind me? Don't stand so far away next time."

He frowned at me.

I knew what he was waiting for.

He expected me to demand to know why his first instinct had been to protect Sienna.

The old me would have.

But now, I simply shook my head.

"There won't be a next time."

Ethan clearly hadn't expected that.

His voice softened.

"Don't say things you don't mean. Come here."

I didn't move.

He frowned and, for once, walked toward me first.

But I didn't smile and slip my arm through his like I always did.

I stepped back instead, deliberately putting distance between us.

Ethan's hand froze in midair for a second.

Before he could speak, Sienna grabbed his sleeve.

"Your first reaction says it all."

"You obviously still love me. Why won't you get back together with me?"

The familiar argument erupted again.

Ethan didn't even notice how pale I'd gone.

He gave her a cold laugh.

"Maybe you should've thought about that before you dumped me. I'm engaged now."

I watched them and smiled bitterly.

So that's what it was.

He said he hated Sienna.

But what he really hated was that she'd been the one to leave him.

Sienna cried even harder.

"So what if you're engaged?"

"If you're really over me, why won't you wear matching rings with her?"

She yanked up his hand and shoved the ring on his finger in front of his face.

"Then why are you wearing our matching rings with her?"

I froze in place.

Ethan had always told me he hated rings because they made him feel trapped.

So when I'd found a pair of rings in his pocket that day, I'd thought he'd finally learned to compromise.

I'd slipped one onto my finger, thrilled, then taken his hand and put the other one on him.

I still remembered the look in his eyes.

Shock.

Something complicated.

Now I understood.

Those rings had never belonged to me.

I took mine off, turned around, and placed it in Sienna's palm.

"Since you two are obviously still so in love, I hope you get back together soon."

His jaw tightened.

"Don't be ridiculous."

I smiled at him.

"I really do mean it."

Silence fell for a moment.

Ethan stared at me, his brow tightening before slowly relaxing again.

"We're going to City Hall the day after tomorrow. Can you not do this right now?"