The next morning started normal. Coffee. Breakfast. Lily chattering about the party.
Then Ethan went quiet.
Not upset quiet. Distant quiet. Like his mind was somewhere else.
"You okay?" I asked while washing dishes.
"Fine."
"You're not fine. You've been staring at your coffee for ten minutes."
He set down his mug. "Mason offered you a job."
"Linda offered me a job. Mason just introduced us."
"Same thing."
"It's really not." I dried my hands. Faced him. "What's going on?"
"You have options now. Ways to stay that don't involve me."
"Is that bad?"
"No. It's good. It's. Smart." He ran his hand through his hair. "But it also means you could leave. Meet someone else. Build a life that doesn't include us."
Understanding dawned. "You're scared."
"I'm terrified. Because yesterday you
