Elle’s POV
Dinner didn’t last much longer after that. Everyone was still watching us from time to time, but they went back to their quiet conversations. I barely touched my food—I was too busy thinking. Thinking about John. About the plan. About Ethan’s hand still resting so close to mine.
Then John suddenly stood up and looked at Ethan.
“Alexander,” he said, using Ethan’s fake name, “come with me. I want to talk to you about something.”
Ethan turned to me before following him. He gently squeezed my hand and leaned down. I thought he was just going to whisper something, but then—he pressed his lips to my forehead.
A soft, warm kiss.
It was small, but it caught me completely off guard. My heart skipped a beat.
Then he leaned down again, this time brushing his lips against my ear as h
