Ellis tapped his fingers on the bar top, the edges of his mouth turned down in a subtle frown. I twisted my napkin in my lap, waiting for him to scold me or something. It was the first time where I felt like Ellis was a parent about to punish me.

And I needed to be punished! I’d been so stupid to think I could pull off an ‘innocent’ date without hurting Ellis or Paul.

“I…” I lifted my eyes and Ellis’s stern face shut me up immediately.

I chewed the inside ...