CLAIRE

I let the phone ring. My finger hovered over the screen, trembling slightly, while Ethan's name flashed over and over like a warning signal. Julian stood beside me, his hand still on my shoulder, waiting.

"What do you think he wants?" I asked quietly, not taking my eyes off the screen.

"Does it matter?" Julian replied, his voice even.

The phone rang again, insistent and relentless. I thought about all the times I'd called Ethan after he threw me out, how every single call had gone straight to voicemail, how he'd blocked me without a second thought.

Now he was calling me, now he wanted to talk. My jaw...