“A pet funeral?” Priya asked, taken aback. “We’ve never done one, but I’ll talk to Puppa and see what he says.”
“Thanks, Pri. I’ll check in with you when I land.” Brooke hung up with a quiet sniff.
Priya stared at her phone for a second. Only Brooke could turn a story about a spiritual healer and a ruined handbag into something both tragic and absurd. But loss was loss, and Priya knew the pain of it all too well. Brooke was hurting, and if there was any way to help her, she’d find it.
Priya tucked her phone away and grabbed her mother’s suitcase, her mind already running through how to pitch the idea of a pet funeral to Puppa. As she wheeled the clattering luggage into the apartment, her parents snapped their heads around from the couch.
“Shh!” they said, turning back to the television.
Priya froze in the hallway. On the screen was Ethan—herEthan—seated across from a well-known talk show host. It was the first time she’d seen him since the night he left…and he lookedincredible. Dressed in a tailored gray suit and open-collared shirt, he was both handsome and painfully distant. His hair, slightly tousled, was perfectly imperfect. Priya’s eyes traced the familiar line of his jaw, lingering on his smile. Her heart swelled at the smooth and rich sound of his voice.
The host grinned at Ethan. “We’re thrilled about your movie, but here’s what everyone’s really dying to know…” He pointed to a screen where the now-infamous picture of Ethan and Priya flickered, their faces close enough to kiss.
“What’s the deal?” the host teased, prompting cheers and applause from the audience.
“You’re all a bunch of pot stirrers, you know that?” Ethan joked, though his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.
Priya’s stomach tightened as the camera panned to reveal Sienna Deville seated beside him. Effortlessly glamorous with high cheekbones and long legs, she radiated pure Hollywood allure. Priya’s eyes stung at the sight.
“Well?” the host continued, tapping his desk for dramatic effect. “Is Ethan Knight single or spoken for?”
The camera zoomed in on Ethan. He lowered his lids briefly, almost imperceptibly, before he spoke. “Priya Solanki and I are just friends. Those photos have been taken out of context and blown way out of proportion.”
Even though they were the very words she had used over the phone with her parents while he had silently watched, hearing Ethan repeat them on TV broke Priya’s heart. It was like he was saying them directly to her. A public, undeniable farewell. She knew she had no right to feel hurt; after all, she’d been the one to push him away. But the pain came anyway, raw and overwhelming. The wordjustnullified everything that had transpired between them, downgrading their embraces to just kisses, theirconversations to just talks, their intimate moments to just sex. It stripped their bond, diminishing it into something unremarkable and ordinary.
Priya’s parents exchanged a look of relief. Ethan’s words had given them exactly what they needed—a clean dismissal of any romantic link between him and their daughter.
“Maybe now the reporters will leave us alone,” Puppa said. “The calls are nonstop!”
“Shh.” Mumma pointed toward the TV as the interview went on.
“I don’t know…” The host raised an eyebrow, looking at the photo, then back to the audience. “Sure doesn’t look like ‘just friends’ to me.”
Laughter echoed in the studio.
Ethan leaned back with an easy grace, showing no interest in being lured into a discussion about his personal life.
“So how did you end up in this plaza with reporters hot on your trail?” the host asked, trying to draw out a new perspective.
“I was staying with an incredibly kind family while preparing for my next role,” Ethan explained. “I needed some new riding gear, and their daughter—who’s known me and my sister for many years—came along to help. We had no clue things would spiral out of control the way they did.”
“That’s right.” The host nodded. “You ended up in a pretty intense situation. Let’s look at what went down.”
The screen showed a clip of Ethan confronting the photographer. “Touch her again and it’ll be the last thing you do,” Ethan’s voice snarled through the speakers.
“Yikes. Wouldn’t want to bethatguy,” the host quipped, mock-wiping his brow.
“Ah, but every woman wants to be the girl on that bike,” Sienna Deville chimed in, throwing Ethan a sultry look.
The host perked up. “Now,thisis interesting,” he said, gesturing between them. “Rumor has it there’s major chemistry between you two in your new movie. Care to share?”
“Details about the chemistry or the movie?” Sienna arched an eyebrow playfully.
“Both, of course.” The host grinned.
Priya watched as Sienna and Ethan bantered with the host.They look so natural together, like two stars perfectly aligned.
“Alright, let’s have a sneak peek,” the host said. “Roll the clip!”
