Chapter 2
When Claire came to, she was in a hospital room.
The first thing she saw was Tiffany curled up in the chair beside her bed, and Ethan carefully tucking his jacket around the girl’s shoulders like she was some precious sleeping angel.
“Hey, you’re awake.” Ethan’s voice was barely a whisper. “Try to keep it down though–don’t want to wake her up.”
laire’s voice came out hoarse and bitter: “The pearls. Did you find them?”
flair
Ethan’s expression darkened, clearly pissed that this was her first concern.
“Let me guess–you didn’t even look.”
Tiffany stirred awake at the sound of voices. The second she saw Claire was conscious, waterworks started flowing.
“Oh thank God, Mrs. Claire! You scared me so bad!” She practically launched herself at Claire, wrapping her in a hug. “I can’t believe I almost lost you! You’re like, the nicest person ever to me. I’m totally not leaving your side until you’re a hundred percent better!”
At her words, Ethan’s voice was full of concern: “You’ve been here all night, sweetheart. You must be starving. What do you want? I’ll get you anything.”
Tiffany hesitated: “Well, I was thinking… never mind, it’s probably not appropriate right now.”
“Nothing’s inappropriate. Just tell me what you want–I’ll make it happen.”
“Really? You’d get me anything?”
“Absolutely.”
“I… I’m craving those homemade cookies Mrs. Claire made that one time! They were literally the best thing I’ve ever tasted in my entire life! She never made them again after that, and I’ve been dying to have them, but I didn’t want to ask…”
Ethan turned to look at Claire expectantly.
Claire let out a bitter laugh: “Are you seriously kidding me right now?”
“Come on, they’re just cookies. How hard can it be? Tiffany wants them–just whip up a batch.”
“Ethan, I literally just had a miscarriage!”
“Yeah, I know.” His tone was matter–of–fact. “I’ll drive you back to the hospital after you’re done baking.”
Claire stared at him like he’d grown a second head.
Like she was looking at a complete stránger–or maybe a monster.
Ethan went quiet for a moment, then walked over and leaned down close to her ear, his voice low enough that only she could hear: “Claire, just do this one thing for me. Otherwise–I’ll dump every single one of those pearls in the ocean where you’ll never find them.”
“Are you threatening me right now?”
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Two Chances, One Bullet: How His “Next Life” Promise Failed
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Chapter 2
But Ethan instantly switched back to his cheerful mask, turning to Tiffany: “Alright, let’s go! Claire said yes–we’re heading home to make you those cookies.”
On the way out. Tiffany suddenly complained about feeling dizzy from low blood sugar.
Ethan immediately scooped her up in his arms, rushing toward the parking garage while calling back over his shoulder: “Claire, hurry up! Tiffany’s blood sugar dropped.”
Claire was barely holding herself together, using the wall for support as she struggled to put one foot in front of the other.
Even the nurse couldn’t stand watching this. She hurried over to help: “Mrs. Thompson, you have three broken ribs and just
uffered a miscarriage–you shouldn’t even be out of bed!”
Three broken ribs.
So that explained why every breath felt like knives stabbing her chest, why walking felt like it was draining every ounce of strength she had left.
“Claire, are you seriously dragging your feet on purpose right now?” Ethan snapped. “Or maybe you don’t actually give a damn about those pearls?”
Claire started laughing.
Laughing and crying at the same time.
This was the man she’d nearly died trying to marry.
“Of course I want them,” she whispered.
“Then move your ass!”
On the drive home, Tiffany claimed shotgun while Claire collapsed in the back seat.
There used to be a little sign Ethan had made for the passenger seat that read: Claire’s Seat Only.
That sign was long gone now. Instead, the seat was covered with a pink lace cushion, decorated exactly how Tiffany liked it.
Back at the house, Ethan settled on the couch with Tiffany curled up against him while Claire dragged herself to the kitchen, barely staying upright as she worked at the oven.
When the cookies were finally done, her body gave out completely. She slid down the cabinet and crumpled onto the kitchen
floor.
“Ethan… help me…”
He got up, then walked over to her.
And then stepped right over her body to grab a plate of cookies.
Stepped back over her again on his way back to the couch.
And sat down next to Tiffany like nothing had happened.
“Go ahead, try it–see if it tastes the same as before.”
Tiffany took a bite, her face lighting up: “Oh my God, Mrs. Claire’s baking is seriously the best!”
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Two Chances, One Bullet: How His “Next Life” Promise Failed
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Chapter 2
“As long as you stay here with us, I can make sure Claire bakes for you whenever you want.”
Tiffany snuggled into Ethan’s chest: “You and Mrs. Claire are both so amazing to me. I promise I’ll find a way to pay you back for everything.”
Ethan pulled her closer, his arm tight around her waist: “Are these cookies really that good?”
“Mr. Ethan want to try one?”
Hearing her words, instead of taking the cookie, Ethan tilted her chin up and kissed her, using his tongue to taste the crumbs in her mouth.
“Much better this way.”
When Claire came to again, she was back in the master bedroom, lying on the king–size bed.
Ethan was right there beside her, reading a book under the soft glow of the bedside lamp.
Claire’s voice was ice–cold: “What, not cuddling with your little sweetheart tonight?”
Ethan closed his book and set it aside: “She’s on her period. Not really in the mood.”
Claire caught sight of the book’s title: Baking Basics: Cookies & Cakes
She suddenly remembered how things used to be–back when Ethan still loved her. She’d mentioned craving a sweet potato from this vendor near her old high school, and he’d driven three hours across the city to get it for her.
Three hours round trip. He’d kept that sweet potato tucked inside his jacket the whole way back.
He’d walked in covered in snow from head to toe, but the sweet potato was still warm.
Funny how that kind of devotion could be recycled for someone else.
“Claire,” he said suddenly, his eyes narrowing as he looked at her neck. “Where’s your charm?”
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