Emily
The lunch had been... nice.
Much nicer than I had anticipated. And Ethan, well, he was infuriatingly charming as always, with his smug smile and the way he leaned in just enough to make me lose focus.
But I couldn’t stay here forever.
In the back of my mind, guilt churned like a restless tide. I hadn’t told Joan what I needed to—that Lila was coming back soon.
And now, it felt wrong to bring it up in front of Ethan. He didn’t even know she was coming back. It was supposed to be a surprise. Lila had made that abundantly clear.
I sighed and pulled my phone from my bag, hoping for a distraction. The moment the screen lit up, my stomach dropped. A string of missed calls glared back at me.
One from my director. Three from Mera. Two from Lila.
Oh no! f**k me.
I choked on my own sa
