"So..." Sienna said carefully, "...was Jessica Simmons… your ex?"
The moment those words left Sienna's lips, Zachary's expression changed. The warmth in his eyes disappeared, replaced by a seriousness that hadn't been there a moment earlier.
Sienna immediately regretted asking. She hadn't expected such a reaction. 'Maybe I shouldn't have brought her up.'
"I'm sorry," she said quickly, offering him an apologetic smile. "Forget that I asked. Let's stop talking about it."
She reached for her wine glass and took a small sip, pretending to focus on the drink even though she felt increasingly guilty.
The cheerful mood they had shared only moments ago suddenly felt much quieter.
For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.
Sienna assumed Zachary had accepted her suggestion to drop the subject. But she was wrong.
He slowly put down his glass and met her eyes.
"Honestly, yes," he finally said. "Jessica was my first relationship... and my last before I met you."
