"Done," Ethan says.
Marcus grins. "I'll have it ready by Friday."
We leave the shop, and I'm buzzing with excitement.
"This is going to be amazing," I say. "Claire is going to lose her mind."
"Thanks to you," Ethan says.
"Thanks to your credit card."
He laughs, and the sound makes my chest warm.
As we drive back to his place, I glance at him.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"Why are you doing all this? Going to this extreme with the party, the gifts. It's a lot of effort and I’ve never met anyone, let alone a single man who would do all this for his mother and sister."
"Because they deserve it." His hands tighten on the steering wheel. "My mom worked herself to the bone to give us a good life. And Claire was always there for me, even when I was a terrible, moody teenager. They've given me everything. The least I can do is give them one perfect day. I’ve never thrown them a party before, and I’ve never bought them meaningful gifts. Most years it’s a hastily signed card with a gift card included. A couple months ago, I had a patient who lost his mother. They’d been estranged until she had a stroke. Watching him say goodbye to her…" he pauses for a second. "I overheard the pain in his voice and so much regret in his words. If God forbid, anything everhappened to me, I would want to make sure my family knew how much I loved them and that I’d said all that I needed to say. I don’t want to leave this world with regrets."
I reach over and squeeze his hand.
"They're lucky to have you."
He glances at me, and there's something vulnerable in his expression.
"I'm lucky to have them," he says. "And I feel pretty damn lucky to have met you, Lily."
CHAPTER 5
The girls are waiting for me when I walk into Chloe's closed coffee shop.
All of them. It has been months since we’ve all been together and I’m excited to see them sitting around the biggest table in the back corner with expressions that range from curious to downright gleeful.
"Finally," Madison says, gesturing to the empty chair beside her. "Sit. Spill. Everything."
I slide into the seat, accepting the latte Chloe pushes across the table. "There's nothing to spill."
"Liar," Holly says cheerfully. "You spent last night at his house."
"In a guest room."
"Still counts," Amber chimes in.
Maya leans forward, elbows on the table. "Start from the beginning. What's he like?"
Where do I even start?
"He's... thoughtful. Attentive. He listens when I talk, like he's actually interested in what I'm saying."
"That's bare minimum behavior," Emily points out gently.
"I know. But it doesn't feel bare minimum when it's happening. It feels..." I search for the right word. "Special."
Madison exchanges a look with Holly that I can't quite decipher.
