Scrolling through the comments, Priya felt like she was witnessing the epicenter of a digital earthquake:
“Too much sauce, Ethan. Too much.”
“I’ve never wanted to be a quilt so badly in my life.”
“That’s a whole meal right there.”
“I feel personally victimized by Ethan Knight’s hotness.”
“Whoever took this pic, you’re doing God’s work.”
“Ethan Knight breaking the internet yet again.”
She hit refresh and saw that the photo was being shared at an equally astonishing pace. Every gossip magazine, fan page, andentertainment account had reposted it. Hell, it was even popping up in her friends’ stories. Priya couldn’t believe it. The fascination aimed at Ethan was unreal, unlike anything she’d ever seen or experienced herself. A swirl of emotions hit Priya: awe, pride, disbelief…and a gnawing sense of invasion. Her private moment with Ethan was splashed all over the internet for the world to analyze. Deleting the photo was not an option. It would only spark more curiosity.
“This is insane,” she whispered, looking up at Ethan.
“Welcome to my world.” His half smile hinted at the resilience that came with years of living under the microscope. “I’m sorry our afternoon took an unexpected turn. Let me handle this really quick.” Switching to his social media accounts, he scrolled through to assess the damage.
Priya turned her attention back to her phone and refreshed the page again. It was then that she noticed a new comment by Sienna Deville:“Whoa, Ethan, didn’t know you were casting for your next love scene. Auditions still open?”
Priya rolled her eyes so hard she saw the back of her head. Without thinking, she clicked Follow.
“Okay…this just got crazy,” Ethan said, his voice low with disbelief.
Priya’s stomach dropped. “What now?”
“Priya Solanki just followed me,” Ethan declared with a grin. “Took her long enough.”
A new notification popped up on Priya’s phone. Ethan Knight was now followingher. She looked up, but Ethan was still on his phone. “And now to follow a bunch of random people to throw off the gossip-hunters.” He looked up and winked at her.
Despite the crisis, Priya felt giddy.
A moment later, Ethan tossed his phone aside and leaned in. “Enough of that. Remind me. Where were we before we got interrupted?”
“About to clean out the fridge,” Priya quipped.
“Oh right, the fridge,” Ethan drawled. “I’m going to have to veto that plan for now.”
“It’s getting dark, Ethan. We have to do it now or we won’t be able to see anything.”
His lips brushed her earlobe. “Sometimes it’s just better to feel your way through things.”
As his tongue blazed a trail to her stomach, Priya lost all sense of the world beyond her bedroom. The fridge, the fire, the photo, the fans…everything faded into sweet oblivion.
Tucked away in the coach house, Priya let herself play house—setting the table, arranging the plates, lighting a candle. With time still on her side, she stepped outside and returned with a sprig of lilac from the garden for her centerpiece. As she adjusted the flower, her gaze drifted to her phone. Despite her best efforts, the temptation to check in was too strong.
Settling on the couch, Priya opened Ethan’s profile and homed in on Sienna’s comment like a heat-seeking missile. A happy grin spread across her face when she saw that Ethan hadn’t replied. Just as she was about to log out, her phone buzzed with a call from Brooke.
“What the hell are you doing, Priya?” Brooke’s voice exploded through the phone, so sharp that Priya whipped around, half expecting to find Brooke peering over her shoulder as she stalked Ethan online.
“Huh?” Priya fumbled.
“Don’t you ‘huh’ me. What’s going on with you and Ethan?”
“I…uh…we…”
“That’s right. My brother and bestie are playing tonsil hockey, and I had to find out fromInstagram?”
