Chapter 3

“This place is gorgeous. Did you design it?”

I thought maybe we simply had similar taste.

She handed me a glass of water and laughed.

“Really? Thanks. But Ethan designed it.”

“He said he based it entirely on what I like. Guess he knows me pretty well.”

“Look, he even added that little ledge next to the toilet so I can put my phone there.”

I went still.

That ledge was my idea.

One winter night, I was curled up in our tiny rental,

eating takeout and sketching our future home on my tablet.

I pointed at the screen and walked him through every little idea I had.

I thought he was listening because he was building our future.

Turned out, I designed someone else’s love nest.

Tiffany dragged me around to show me her “castle.”

Another woman was living in the home I had designed.

It felt like swallowing broken glass.

On the second floor,

a door swung open and a white poodle ran straight into Tiffany’s arms.

“My baby!” she squealed, kneeling to pick it up.

“Why are you always this excited to see Mommy? You sweet thing.”

Then the dog turned.

And ran straight at me.

Its tail went wild.

It rubbed its head against my leg and leapt up at me.

My whole body locked up.

The fur.

The way it moved...