Chapter 1

My boyfriend, Ethan Cole, hated the color red.

Hated it so much he couldn't even stand red lights.

So we'd made a ridiculous deal: whenever we went out together, every red light we hit on the road meant he'd cancel one thing he'd promised me that day.

On Valentine's Day, we had a reservation at that trendy restaurant I'd been dying to try. We were two blocks away when the intersection turned red.

Ethan said immediately, "Per our deal, today's date is over."

On the weekend, we were supposed to go pick out wedding rings. We hit two red lights in a row on the way there.

He turned to look at me, his tone so calm you'd think he was talking about the weather.

"No more ring shopping. I'm taking you home."

I was hurt, but I didn't say a word.

Then one weekend, I planned two weeks in advance to bring him home to meet my parents and hold our engagement dinner.

The day we left, I watched every single traffic light like a hawk, palms sweating.

Clear roads the entire way.

Not a single red light.

I finally let out a breath.

But ten minutes from my parents' house, Ethan's phone lit up.

A message from my best friend, Chloe.

"Anyone buying me coffee today?"

Ethan glanced at it once and turned the car around.

The red light at the intersection lasted a full sixty seconds.

He wasn't impatient. He didn't frown. He didn't mention his deal.

He just waited quietly for the light to change, then went out of his way to buy Chloe her coffee.

He even texted her back, perfectly earnest:

"The shop has a new red cup. Want one?"

In that moment, sitting in the passenger seat, I felt like a joke.

When the light turned red again, I said nothing.

But Ethan spoke up.

"Chloe wants to check out that new restaurant for photos. We'll do the dinner with your parents another time."

"Don't bother rescheduling."

I looked down, canceled the engagement dinner, and pushed open the car door.

This time, red light or green, I was done waiting.

Traffic streamed past in both directions.

I stood on the curb, struck by a sudden wave of blankness.

A horn blared behind me.

"Emma, what's your problem?"

Ethan was frowning at me, the same expression he wore when he was stuck at a red light.

"It's just a few more days before you see your parents. You're really going to throw a fit over something this small? Can you please get a grip on your emotions?"

"Did you forget our red-light deal? Do you know how many red lights we've already hit today?"

So the red lights from the detour to get Chloe's coffee—those counted against me too.

I said, "I'm not upset. I'm just tired. I'm going home."

I turned and walked away.

Ethan looked like he might come after me, but the next light turned red.

In the end, he turned the car around.

I watched his car pull away, and I couldn't help but laugh.

When it came to me, he never forgot to stop at a red light.

The moment I got back to my apartment, I saw Chloe's latest post.

"Weekends are meant to be lived boldly."

Her photos were drenched in red.

Red roses. A red coffee cup. Steak drizzled with red wine sauce.

Even the dress she was wearing was red.

I stared at those photos quietly, then looked around my apartment.

Black. White. Gray.

Cold. Not a trace of warmth.

Even the dress I'd planned to wear to my own engagement dinner was black.

A friend had once asked me, "You only get engaged once in your life. Ethan can't put up with it just this once?"

I'd stroked that black dress and murmured, "It's fine. I don't want to make him uncomfortable. It doesn't matter what color you wear to an engagement. It's just a ceremony."

My friend had thrown open my closet.

One glance was all it took. Every piece was muted.

She said, "Emma, you used to love red more than anything when we were in school. You were bright and bold. Look at what you've turned into."

Just then, my phone buzzed and pulled me out of the memory.

A message from Chloe.

"Emma, you really missed out today. That place was packed."

"And guess what? We hit ten red lights on the way."

Then she sent a video.

The camera was shaky, like she'd hit record by accident.

In the video, she was sitting in the passenger seat.

"Ethan, I remember Emma said you absolutely hate waiting at red lights. Maybe we should just skip it today and go another time?"

Ethan sat in the driver's seat, watching the road ahead quietly.

What he said next drove into my chest like a blade of ice.

"No need to skip it."

"Whether I hate it or not depends on who's sitting next to me."

Chloe laughed teasingly. "Careful. If Emma finds out, she might call off the engagement."

Ethan said, "I should be so lucky."

I watched for a few seconds before I finally spoke.

"Since you two are having such a great time, why don't you just get engaged."

The moment the words left my mouth, both people in the video froze.

I hung up without expression.

Then I dialed another number.

"Liam, I'm going to the courthouse in three days to get married. Will you come?"