Page 46 of Fractured Ice

"I did."

Although I honestly hadn’t thought much about it. Guys ask for girls’ numbers all the time and never actually call them back. Plus, he’s a jock. He’s probably got women throwing themselves at him all day long.

"I figured if I waited too long, you'd assume I wasn't interested."

That catches me off guard.

"Interested?"

"In getting to know you."

I lean against the brick wall.

"We've talked twice."

"Then I guess we should fix that."

A laugh slips out. "Is this your way of asking me out?"

"I was hoping you'd recognize it."

"Subtle."

"I thought so."

I shake my head. "What exactly are you proposing?"

"Dinner."

"Dinner?"

"Dinner."

"When?"

"Friday."

I hesitate. "Friday works."

"Good."

The smile in his voice is impossible to miss. "I'll text you the details."

I hang up and stand on the sidewalk for a second. Dylan Reed is charming and successful and puts together a sentence well. On paper he's exactly the kind of person that makes sense. There's no reason to feel strange about Friday.

Yet I kind of do, but I go back inside.

Ethan sees me before I'm fully to the table, his gaze tracking my movements. I'm already sitting down when he asks, "What did he want?"

"He asked me to dinner Friday."

"You said yes?"

"I did."

He doesn't say anything, and the not-saying-anything has a texture to it. Then, "Sienna⁠—"

"Don't."