Chapter 90

Claire froze at the doorway, the smile on her face stiffening. Realizing Ethan wasn't going to open the door, a wave of panic hit her. She stood there, uncertain—should she say something else? Or just walk away and wait for him to cool off first? After a few seconds of hesitation, she looked at the closed door, forced down the whiny tone in her voice, and chose to speak sincerely instead. "Ethan, I'm really sorry. I know you're mad at me right now. I made you all worry last night. I seriously didn't know I couldn't handle my alcohol like that… I wasn't trying to avoid checking in on purpose. I only just woke up this morning, and the first thing I did was message you guys. Can you stop being upset?" Silence. Still no response from Ethan. Claire bit her lip and lingered for a bit longer, then gave up and turned away. But she didn't lock herself up in her room like Ethan did. Instead, she went downstairs and sank into the couch, hugging a throw pillow while her mind started spinning. It h