Chapter Three #2
Oliver drummed his fingers on the table again, restless. “Yeah. It is. You know… under the right circumstances.” The crying grew louder, and his eyes darted away once more.
“Go take care of that. We’ll talk later.”
He nodded, relief flickering across his face. “Thanks, Ash. And… sorry about the secret.”
“I’ll get my payback somehow.”
His grin returned. “Please let me know how lunch goes. Can’t wait to hear all about it.”
I rolled my eyes but didn’t bother hiding the smile.
“And I’ll get back to you if I come up with anything,” he added, giving me one more encouraging look before hanging up.
The screen went dark.
Silence settled over my home office, broken only by the distant hum of traffic drifting up from the street below.
Madrid never really slept, but at this hour the noise softened into something muted.
Files lay spread across my desk, legal notes and highlighted clauses blurring together under the lamplight.
I let out a slow breath and slumped into my chair, dragging a hand down my face. My shoulders ached from hours hunched over contracts and damage control. I should have gone back to work. There was more than enough waiting for me.
Instead, my thoughts drifted straight to Ethan. To our brief conversation. To his texts.
He still felt like the same person. He’d grown—that was the point of all this—but it wasn’t like he’d become someone else.
I opened our chat, my eyes lingering on his words. My fingers hovered over the keyboard, itching to type something—anything—just to pick up the thread again.
But I set the phone down face-first on the desk and scrubbed a hand over my jaw.
I needed to get a grip. If I didn’t, how the hell was I supposed to keep my distance?
Leaning back, I stared at the ceiling, but it wasn’t legal documents or headlines or the impossible mess waiting for me in the morning that filled my head.
It was his smile.
Gorgeous. Familiar. Unchanged.
A quiet breath left me before I could stop it, and despite everything pressing in around me, I found myself smiling back.
He’s here.
Saturday came too soon.
So soon, in fact, that I barely had time to prepare—myself or Luca—for what we were walking into. Between calls and meetings, there had been no space to think, let alone figure out how to tell him.
Now I was wandering through his apartment, waiting for him to get ready, bracing for something I couldn’t quite name. Not that it had to be anything. I was probably making more of it than I should—at least where Luca was concerned.
“I still haven’t been able to get that appointment,” Luca called from his bedroom.
My eyes lifted from my phone. “Hm?”
“Casa Aurelio. I tried to get one to see the new collection, and they said they are too busy to schedule anything for the next couple of weeks. Have you heard anything?”
I stared at the half-open door, the words taking a second to land.
Luca walked out a moment later, a small, smug smile already in place. “You have no idea what I am talking about.”
It wasn’t a question. My best answer was my most charming smile.
Luca rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “I told you on Monday that I was looking for an appointment, and you said…” He waved a hand in the air, waiting for me to pick up the thread.
“That I knew someone and would make it work,” I finished, my memory finally catching up. I’d completely forgotten. “I’m sorry. I’ve been distracted.”
The thump of keys hitting the bottom of his bag echoed through the room as he started gathering his things. “It’s okay, Ash. Just don’t forget.” He stepped closer, looking like he’d walked straight out of an ad, and stopped in front of me, giving me a once-over. “I like that shirt.”
His palm slid up the fabric, and I placed my hand over his, holding it there.
“I wish you would change your mind about being photographed,” Luca said. “We have a great concept for linen suits. You would look incredible.”
I stiffened. “I’m sure you’ll find someone who fits that role perfectly,” I said, keeping my tone even.
Luca tilted his head, studying me. “That is another no?”
I smiled tightly and gave a small nod. After a beat, I added, “About this lunch…”
“Yes?” His hazel eyes stayed on my shirt, his other hand coming up, thumb brushing over the buttons. “Do you want to come back here after?” His tongue dragged slowly across his lower lip, the shift in his expression making his intentions unmistakable.
I let out a quiet, strained breath.
Luca closed his eyes, his head tipping back, already knowing what I was about to say, but still pressing close enough for his chest to brush against mine.
“You have work,” he said, tiredly.
“I do. You know I do. And it’s just for this—”
He lifted a hand, cutting me off. “I get it. I just thought I could cancel on Carla and we could have fun.” His gaze flicked over me again, deliberate this time. “It’s been a while.”
I pressed my lips together. “I know.”
He leaned in, brushing a quick kiss against my mouth before stepping away, already moving toward the counter. “I’ll stop by your office next week. We’ll figure out if there are any gaps in your schedule.”
“Sounds like a plan.” I slipped my hands into my pockets. “Luc, about this lunch…”
He nodded, pulling out his phone, thumb already moving across the screen.
“There are more people coming.”
No reaction. The faint hum of the city drifted in through the windows, cars passing somewhere below.
“Raúl, who’s an old friend. He’s working with Henry, and…” Just say it. I cleared my throat. “And Ethan.”
Two perfectly groomed dark brown eyebrows lifted. “Oh.”
“You know he’s my brother-in-law too. He and Henry are very close. And we’re…”
Luca’s attention shifted back to me, the ease gone from his posture.
“We’re friends. He and I.” The words sat there, thinner than I wanted them to.
Luca held my gaze for a second longer, then gave a small nod, like he was filing it away rather than accepting it. “Of course.”
I forced a lighter tone. “It’s nothing. Just lunch.”
“Mm.” His eyes dropped back to his screen, but his thumb had gone still.
“We should get going.” I nodded toward the door. “Or we’ll be late.”
“Yeah.” He slipped it into his pocket and grabbed his bag, heading for the door.
I followed him out into the hallway as he locked up behind us, the click echoing in the quiet space before we made our way to the elevator.
It could have gone worse, all things considered.
Maybe Oliver was wrong about this.
The restaurant was packed, and we sat out on the terrace. A parasol shaded us from the sun, but the heat still pressed in. Ten minutes in, and it was already going worse than I’d expected. The noise helped, at least, as a decent distraction from the tension simmering at our table.
Luca’s eyes stayed on his phone, his expression set, thumb dragging across the screen without pause. He hadn’t said much since we left the apartment, and whatever ease had been there earlier hadn’t come back.
I shifted in my seat, the edge of the table pressing into my wrist, trying to ignore the way the silence kept stretching between us.
Two weeks ago, everything had felt… settled. Predictable. I’d been running a successful, growing business. My life moved in clean lines and controlled outcomes. Could it have used more color? Less quiet? Probably. But it worked. It was enough.
Now, sitting here, it felt like trying to force mismatched pieces together, something that might hold for a moment but would never really fit.
And the only thing that had changed was Ethan.
Work was work. Crises came and went. Being stretched thin was nothing new.
This was.
“Do you want anything else to drink?” I asked.
His glass of sparkling water sat untouched, the ice long melted. He shook his head without lifting his gaze. It wasn’t unusual for him to disappear into his screen like this. Luca and his friends were always posting, snapping pictures, and talking nonstop. Victims of social media.
Still, something between us felt off—heavier than it should have.
“Luc—” I started, trying to salvage whatever this was before it slipped any further.
“Ash!”
Henry’s voice cut through the noise, pulling my attention. Trailing behind him were Ethan and Raúl.
Now more than ever, I knew I’d been deluding myself into thinking this was going to be easy.
Ethan looked like a ray of fucking sunshine breaking through darkness.
Impeccably dressed—understated but elegant—and his hair, longer now, was dry this time.
The light caught every shade of gold in those strands.
He wore sunglasses—a very impressive pair, might I add—so I couldn’t quite catch his eyes, but I felt him looking straight at us. At Luca, to be precise.
I cleared my throat and stood to greet them.
“You couldn’t get a table inside?” Henry said, giving me a side hug. “It’s hotter than hell today.”
“Force of habit.”
“Luca, I assume.” Henry extended a hand. “I’m the little brother.”
Luca’s smile flickered back into place. “It is lovely to finally meet you.”
“This is Raúl—he follows me around—and Ethan, our…” Henry paused mid-introduction, eyes narrowing slightly as he weighed his next word. “Brother-in-law.”
“Nice to meet you both,” Luca said, his smile tightening a fraction as he extended his hand to Ethan.
A tense second ticked by before Ethan took it.
“Same,” he said, voice low, that familiar rasp curling around the word.
Then he turned to me, and his grin appeared—the full force of it hitting me square in the chest.
“Hey, Ash.” He tugged lightly on my shirt, drawing me down, and kissed my cheek.
It read like a power play, and my stomach tightened once more. So maybe this wouldn’t be smooth sailing after all.
Ethan dropped into the chair beside mine, and I caught Henry’s barely contained amusement, shooting him a scowl.
The server appeared, tablet in hand, ready to take our orders.
“What’s everybody having?” Henry asked.
“Macallan, neat,” Ethan and I said in unison.