Three Years of Lies The Day My World Burned

h Ethan's, pulling him thro

g, Ethan! It's exactly how

the menu, the chef she'd poache

nodding, his eyes shin

d this on a napkin at that little cafe in Paris, remembe

spilled coffee all

" Chloe squeezed his arm. "Yo

d every detail of he

ooth. "That's where you said you

gled. "I

id, his voice soft. "You wanted

his expression f

it, Chlo. Even if it was just mix

ir. A promise from thei

a second. "Don't be silly, Ethan. You're

ifferent message. A f

her power

ehind them,

their pri

loe. He was entirely absor

e I wasn't

than ordered champagne

bright. "Ava, you're so quiet. What will

ion hung

ed blank f

lly look

I'm not sure. Ava? Wh

menu in front of me, alre

e years of marriage, he di

tra béarnaise, no fries, side salad with lemon vin

was a bl

ing, a tightening in my ch

n my lap, nails dig

of my lip to stop

d, pushing my chair b

to the restroom. O

tertop, watching me in the mirror

u at all, does he?" she sa

ly. How little of an i

g her gaze in the mirror.

ve everything I want. Ethan's devot

, her reflection l

ways will. You were just a... a placeho

u think it's time you gracefully bowed ou

t. A declar

ash echoed from the

eaped into

, unadulte

eyes w

th ra

ao

ture, custom-made, had d

g precariously

le where Ethan... whe

slightly a

His eyes loc

lit second

Chloe hard. She stu

even gla

n the path of th

in in my hea

, no

e up

head. Stin

ld was

floor. People

haze, I

who was sobbing hysterically

ces, shielding her from the surrounding

loe, I'm here.

. Or if he did,

ng I saw was Ethan, his back to

lacknes

eyes next, I was

on

dull, constant ache. My

se told me later. Dee

or my phone

ing so badly I c

t. Saved Chloe, ign

al:

h, you're awake! How a

Still working? You'

king Point Ledger? Points? Wh

. "Minus 75 points... gettin

, thinking i

n't s

, the doo

ha

st words. "...getting c

o me, a flicker of somethi