Chapter 4

The news was everywhere. "Tech CEO Nathan Hayes Reunited with Childhood Sweetheart Chloe Davis." Photos of them at charity galas, at business dinners, leaving fancy restaurants. They were the city's new golden couple.

Nathan hadn't contacted me in days. I hadn't seen him since that moment on the street.

In that time, I' d been to the hospital three times.

"Are you really okay?" my friend, Dr. Ethan Miller, asked, his brow furrowed as he looked over my latest test results. He pushed a hand through his hair, his expression serious. "Ava, we need to talk about treatment options. We can't put this off."

I clutched the papers in my hand and gave him a weak smile. "Not yet, Ethan. I just need a little more time."

I went home. His shoes were by the door. My heart did a strange little jump.

Nathan was home.

I quickly hid the test results in my purse, then pulled out a small paper bag from the pharmacy, the one with some over-the-counter cold medicine I' d bought. I placed it on the kitchen counter just as he walked out of the bedroom, his white shirt unbuttoned at the collar.

"You went to the hospital?" he asked, his eyes landing on the pharmacy bag.

I nodded, trying to keep my voice steady. "Just a cold. I got a couple of shots and picked up some meds."

The tension in his shoulders visibly eased. He relaxed.

He walked over and pulled my hand to his face, pressing my palm against his cheek. It was a familiar, intimate gesture. "I've been so busy, I didn't even notice you were sick. How did you catch a cold?"

I stayed silent.

Nathan' s tenderness was a dangerous thing. It was so easy to mistake it for genuine affection. So easy to forget it was just a habit.