She had wanted to say sothing — to express the gratitude that was bubbling inside her — but his words stopped her.
It wasn't about owing him anything. She knew that. And yet, she wanted to repay him… if not for him, they might have lost their mother or be stuck in massive debt.
Her eyes stung, and before she could stop them, tears welled up and threatened to spill.
Ethan sighed when he noticed. "You're crying again?"
Before she could wipe them away, he reached out and gently brushed his fingers under her eyes, catching the tears before they could fall.
His touch was light, almost careful, as if he wasn't used to handling sothing fragile.
Then, without a word, he leaned in and pressed his lips to the corners of her eyes.
Riley froze.
It wasn't a passionate kiss — it wasn't sothing desperate or urgent.
It was slow, deliberate, and full of sothing she couldn't quite na.
His lips lingered for a mont before he pulled back just enough to look at her again.
"Stop crying," he murmured.
She let out a shaky breath.
"Why are you like this?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Ethan tilted his head slightly. "Like what?"
Riley didn't know how to answer.
He was frustrating. He was infuriating. And yet, he was also the reason she felt safe tonight.
She turned her body slightly so she was facing him more fully. His arm was still over her back, his hand resting lightly on her waist now.
He wasn't pulling her closer, but he wasn't letting go either.
"You act like you don't care," she said finally. "Like you're just doing things because it's convenient for you. But you do care, don't you?"
Ethan's gaze flickered, but he didn't look away.
"I do," he admitted after a pause.
That simple confession sent a rush of warmth through her, and she didn't know what to do with it.
A silence stretched between them, heavy but not uncomfortable.
Ethan exhaled, then shifted, rolling onto his back and staring up at the ceiling.
"You should sleep," he muttered.
Riley didn't move. She watched him for a mont longer before finally sighing and turning onto her side again, facing away this ti.
"Goodnight, Ethan," she whispered.
She felt his fingers lightly brush against her back, just once, before he pulled his arm away.
"Goodnight, Riley."
And with that, she slept off.
...
An hour later, Ethan stirred awake at the sound of his phone buzzing on the nightstand.
The screen lit up in the dark, casting a faint glow over the room. He squinted at the caller ID — Vanessa.
With a quiet sigh, he carefully slipped out of bed, mindful not to disturb Riley, who was curled up under the covers.
She let out a soft breath but didn't stir.
Ethan grabbed the phone and answered the video call, groaning slightly as he stretched his stiff shoulders.
The cold air from the air conditioner made him shiver, so he grabbed the white full-body coat that ca with the hotel room and slipped it on.
Then, without turning on any lights, he walked toward the balcony, sliding open the glass door before stepping outside.
The city stretched below him, a sea of glowing lights and distant noise. He pulled the balcony door shut behind him to block out any sound from inside, then finally turned his attention to the screen.
Vanessa's face filled his phone, her dark eyes heavy-lidded, her lips slightly parted.
She was slouched on a couch, looking unusually disheveled. On the table in front of her, Ethan imdiately spotted three open bottles of alcohol, a few of them nearly empty.
His brows furrowed.
"Did Mirianne really let you drink alcohol?" he asked, exhaling tiredly.
Vanessa blinked slowly, like it took a second for her brain to process his words.
Then she scoffed, shaking her head. "I'm not a child, Ethan." Her voice was a little hoarse.
Ethan clicked his tongue. "You're barely an adult. And drunk on a video call? That's not exactly the image of a champion racer."
Vanessa rolled her eyes and took another sip from her glass, though her grip on it was loose.
"Champion racer? Who cares about that?"
Ethan frowned. This wasn't like her.
"What's going on?" he asked, his voice quieter now, less teasing and more serious.
Vanessa leaned back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling.
Her lips pressed together for a mont before she sighed. "I don't know. I just... I just feel like everything is slipping away."
Ethan didn't respond imdiately. Instead, he let the silence stretch between them, giving her space to say what she needed.
"Wow, so you do pick up your calls," she said flatly, it was like the tension of before had just vanished and now she had changed.
Ethan sighed. "I always pick up my calls. What's with the attitude?"
Vanessa scoffed. "Oh, I don't know, maybe because you said you were leaving for business and then completely vanished?"
She leaned closer to the screen, her expression sharp. "When are you coming back?"
Ethan rubbed his temple. "Vanessa, I literally just got here today."
"Exactly!" she shot back. "You've been gone a whole day. Do you know how boring it is without you? Mirianne's the only one at ho, and while I appreciate her cooking, she doesn't talk much. Do you know how lonely that is?"
Ethan sighed, leaning against the balcony railing. "Vanessa…"
"You could have at least told when you'd be back. Or better yet, taken with you," she grumbled, then frowned. "Wait. Who are you even with?"
Ethan exhaled through his nose, shaking his head slightly.
"I'm not with anyone," he said, his voice calm and steady. "And I'll be back tomorrow. I've seen what I wanted to see, and there's no point in staying longer."
Vanessa's expression shifted instantly.
One second, she was suspicious, her lips pursed and her eyes narrowed, and the next, she was grinning ear to ear, practically bouncing in her seat.
"Finally!" she cheered, throwing her hands up. "You took long enough! Do you know how dead this place is without you?"
Ethan could only smirk at her reaction. It was amusing, really. Vanessa acted like he had been gone for months instead of just a day.
"Mirianne! He's coming back tomorrow!" she called over her shoulder, clearly excited.
Ethan heard so rustling in the background, and then, before he knew it, Mirianne appeared in the fra, peering over Vanessa's shoulder with her usual calm expression.
Her hair was tied back neatly, and she looked as composed as ever.
She gave Ethan a small, warm smile, her voice gentle as she said, "It'll be good to have you back. We'll be expecting you."
Unlike Vanessa, who was practically vibrating with excitent, Mirianne's words were simple but reassuring.
Vanessa, anwhile, continued rambling, "I hope you brought back sothing good. You better not have wasted all your ti doing boring business stuff — "
Before she could finish, Mirianne reached out and placed a hand over Vanessa's mouth, effectively silencing her.
"That's enough," Mirianne said lightly, though the look she gave Vanessa held the slightest bit of amusent.
Ethan chuckled as Vanessa flailed slightly, trying to pry Mirianne's hand off her face.
"Anyway, safe travels," Mirianne continued before nodding at the screen and ending the call.
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