He glances up at the cloudless sky.“Fine.Wow.Try to keep that excitement contained.”
“Sorry.It would be wonderfully amazing.So incredible.Can’t wait.”
I knock my hip against the door to get it open, then slide the seat forward while he folds himself into the passenger side.Barely.
If only there was time to go to the grocery store and then bring him back home before my appointment.Unfortunately, I took my time getting ready, and it’ll be tight as it is.
Maybe he won’t notice if I do a little pit stop at the dermatology clinic?
Who am I kidding?This guy is a foreman.He’s literally paid to notice even the tiniest details.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”he asks, staring at me from the passenger seat, his knees pressed against the glovebox.
“Yeah.Of course.Why?”
“Because you just passed the grocery store,” he says, his head swinging back to glance at it.
Guess there’s no point lying anymore.He’s going to put two and two together soon enough.“I need to swing by the doctor’s really fast for an appointment.You can take the car to the grocery store while I’m inside.It shouldn’t take too long at all.”
I don’t need to look at him to know he’s frowning.My suspicions are confirmed when I pull into the parking lot, where “Rhea’s Dermatology” is printed in giant red letters on the sign.
Ethan’s skin pales a touch as his eyes flick to me.“What’s going on?Have you got a check-up?”
My smile is beginning to crack, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.I hate it here.Hate it so much that it feels like my heart is going to explode from my chest.“Nothing’s going on.”I can’t bring myself to lie again and tell him it’s just a routine appointment.Somehow, I don’t think he’d believe me anyway.
“Chloe, look at me,” he says gently.
I grip the steering wheel tighter, trying my best to get a hold on my feelings.“We don’t have to do this, Ethan.”
“Do what?”
“Pretend to care about this sort of stuff.We’re just hooking up.Purely casual.”
He presses his lips together and says nothing, which is probably for the best.I don’t need to hear his thoughts about this, because I’ve got plenty of my own.
The moment I said those words, they felt like ash on my tongue.
Ethan and I have never made any promises to each other, but this thing between us feels like more thanjust hooking up.More than a casual fling.
I toss the key into his lap and knock my knee against the door to unstick it, then get out of the car, confused when he emerges as well.
“What are you doing?”I ask.
He closes the door behind him and starts for the sidewalk.“Coming with you.”
“There’s no need.I’m fine.”
“Don’t lie to me.You’re clearly not.And that’s okay.You don’t have to smile through absolutely everything.”
Here’s the thing about being called “Sunshine” for most of your life: people expect you to be happy all the time.
Most days, I am.
But sometimes, weird moles get into your head, or the doctor calls to confirm your worst fears and your smile gets lost.When you’re a naturally sunny person, folks don’t want to know you so much on the days when your mood is cloudy.When you’re feeling stormy.
Ethan, though… he looks like he might not mind.
That man is a storm cloud on the best of days.He knows that life isn’t all rainbows and sunshine.
