Page 7 of The Sound of Silence

One Year Later

Istared up into Ethan’s eyes as we swayed to the slow, harmonious voices of Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé. I wanted to pinch myself to make sure the moment was real. I was officially Mrs. Ethan Walker, the happiest woman on earth. If anyone had told me a year ago someone like me, a penniless girl from a run-down neighborhood in Cincinnati, would have landed the man whose arms were wrapped tightly around me, I wouldn’t have believed it. That first coffee date turned into a dinner date, then quickly became so much more.

Four months later, after a whirlwind romance, Ethan proposed. He chose to do it on the night he was appointed the youngest Chief of Police for the Cincinnati Police Department. I had originally thought we were going out to celebrate his new title. Little did I know he’d pop the question.

“How did I get so lucky?” I asked my new husband.

“I don’t believe in luck, Gia,” he said, pulling me tighter to his chest. “We all make our own destiny. And you? You were destined to be mine.”

“I’m yours forever,” I whispered, smiling wistfully, and rested my head against his broad shoulder. He stroked my back softly with his fingertips, caressing the skin left bare by the V-shaped open back of my wedding gown. When the song ended, Ethan pulled back and took my face between his palms.

“I have a surprise for you.”

“Oh? What kind of surprise?” I asked.

“Do you remember the house we drove by a couple of months ago in Indian Hill? The secluded one with the pond, surrounded by the tall pines.”

“Of course I remember.” I recalled the way I gaped at the large ranch-style home when we passed by it. With its stone exterior, picturesque dormers, and perfectly trimmed hedges, it looked as though it had come straight out of a fairytale. There had been a for sale sign staked in the front lawn. However, when I looked it up online, it was well out of our price range. “I really loved that house, especially the wrap around porch.”

“I know you loved it, so…” A mischievous glint came into his eye.

“So, what?”

“I bought it.”

“Ethan!” I gasped. “We can’t afford that house. I looked it up. It was—”

“Shhhh,” he said, placing his index finger over my lips. “I have my ways. Trust me. I wanted the house as much as you did. Didn’t I say we make our own destiny? I’m the Chief of Police now, honey. I can make anything happen, and I can’t wait to carry you over the threshold tonight.”

“Tonight?”

“Yes. The movers were at your apartment today. My girl doesn’t have to worry about a thing. All of your stuff is already in the new house.”

“It is?” I blinked, not sure how I felt. I was still reeling from the idea I would be living in a storybook home. I was like Cinderella—a girl who dared to dream and had all of her wishes come true—however, the idea of a stranger being in my home, going through my personal things without my knowledge, was unsettling.

“Gia, what’s wrong?”

Ethan’s hands slid from my face to the crook of my neck and I felt him tense. I blinked again, unsure what to say. If I told him my thoughts, I would sound ungrateful, and I didn’t want anything to spoil this moment. It was my wedding day, and I just found out my prince had bought me a castle. Instead of voicing my concern, I smiled up at him.

“Nothing is wrong. I’m just happy, that’s all. Thank you, Ethan.”

“Anything for my girl. I know you don’t like city living. If a quiet suburb is what you want, that’s what you get,” he murmured. He tucked a blonde curl behind my ear, but I reached up to put it back.

“Those curly wisps are supposed to be there.” I smiled and pointed to the matching curl on the other side. “See? Lisa did my hair that way on purpose.”

“I wish you’d gone to the stylist I suggested.” Ethan frowned and took a step back as the song ended.

He looked genuinely annoyed, and laughter bubbled from my lips. For some unknown reason, I found his displeasure with my hairstylist to be quite humorous. Most men I knew couldn’t care less about such things, but then again, Ethan wasn’t like most men.

“What’s wrong with Lisa?” I asked with amusement.

He opened his mouth to respond, but whatever he was about to say was interrupted by Natalia.

“Gia, this wedding cake is the bomb! I’m completely addicted to the frosting. Where did you get it from?”

“Oh, um…” I couldn’t remember and had to think about it. We tried so many cakes from various bakers, but Ethan ultimately made the final decision.

“Marcella’s Bakery,” Ethan answered without looking at her. His response was somewhat curt, and he was looking at something over my shoulder. I turned and saw a group of men lingering by the bar, recognizing them as officers from Ethan’s precinct. When I looked back at Ethan, his jaw was tense. “Gia, there are some people I have to talk to. I’ll be right back.”

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