After I Stopped Loving Him (Isabella and Ethan) novel Chapter 264

A minute later, Isabella stood up, brushed herself off, and headed back inside.

Ethan listened to her footsteps fading away. He cracked an eye open, just to check, then quickly squeezed it shut again, ears straining for any sign she was coming back. There was no way she’d actually leave him to sleep outside all night. She cared about him, he was sure of it. She’d have to come up with some excuse to let him in.

Not long after, Isabella came out again, carrying a basin filled with water. Two ice packs floated at the top.

She set the basin down and dipped her hand in, checking the temperature. When she felt how cold it was, she fished out the ice packs and set them aside. Then she picked up the basin, straightened up, and glared at Ethan lying on the ground. Without a word, she dumped the entire basin of icy water right over his head.

Ethan shot up with a yelp, scrambling to his feet, completely drenched. Water dripped from his hair and face, soaking through his clothes. The shock of the cold had him gasping.

He tried to wipe the water from his face, shivering, but before he even had a chance to recover, Isabella slammed the empty basin down over his head.

“Awake now? Good. Get inside, take this basin with you, and grab those ice packs off the ground. Clean up after yourself.”

She didn’t wait for a response. She spun around and hurried inside.

By the time Ethan pulled the basin off his head, Isabella had already disappeared.

“Isabella!” he shouted, teeth clenched in frustration.

She really dumped a whole basin of water on him. And with ice, no less. If he’d known she could be this ruthless, he never would have tried to play dead. Now he was soaked and freezing.

He tossed the basin aside, giving it a couple of kicks for good measure, then stomped inside, still wiping the water from his face.

Upstairs, still fuming, he marched over to Isabella’s room and pounded on the door. She ignored him. The door stayed shut.

He tried kicking the door, but all he got for his effort was a sore foot.

Shivering, Ethan finally gave up on getting revenge and went to take a long, hot shower.

The next morning, Ethan woke up and glanced at the clock. Nearly eight. He still had to get to work. With a sigh, he dragged himself out of bed, got dressed, and headed downstairs.

Ethan just shook his head. “Let me starve. Not like Isabella cares anyway.”

Susan hesitated, then said softly, “Ethan, did you and Isabella have a fight last night?” She remembered seeing two wet ice packs and a basin by the front door when she arrived at six that morning.

“She doesn’t even want to fight with me anymore,” Ethan muttered, feeling a little bitter.

Susan gave him a gentle look. “If she did, you’d probably just say she was being unreasonable or not caring about you.”

Ethan didn’t argue. He just kept walking, leaving without breakfast and heading straight for work.

After a moment, Susan picked up her phone and dialed Isabella.

When Isabella answered, Susan spoke right away. “Isabella, Ethan left for work without eating breakfast.”

“If he’s not eating, he’s probably not hungry. Don’t worry so much, Susan. He’s thirty, not a baby. If he gets hungry, he’ll find something to eat.”