Chapter 2

I opened my mouth and took the fry. He leaned down slightly, the light hitting his nose, making him look less cold than usual.

I might as well forget that talk about him being some loyal guy hung up on his ex, or this cold, untouchable boss. He was basically a stubborn man-child who hogged couches and scrambled to explain himself the second things got twisted.

I thought I might actually be starting to fall for him.

However, I was way too stubborn to admit it.

That night, Oliver didn't leave. He took over my couch, grabbed my blanket, and slept like he owned the place.

I lay in my bedroom, listening to his steady breathing from the living room, scrolling through the trending hashtag, unable to fall asleep no matter how hard I tried.

His first love was back. The girl everyone said he'd loved through his whole youth and the one he'd spent ten years hung up on, was back.

Would whatever thing we had going on, not only friends but not exactly a couple either, get wrecked now that she was back out of nowhere?

I didn't dare think too deeply about it, and I certainly didn't want to admit to the faint bitterness building in my chest.

*****

The next morning, the doorbell dragged me out of sleep.

I rubbed my eyes and opened the door.

A woman in casual clothes stood outside, looking exactly like the pictures from the airport. She had this easy, confident smile and was carrying two big bags stuffed with snacks and fruit. The second she saw me, her eyes lit up.

"You must be Viola Joyce, right?" she said, her voice bright and cheerful. "I'm Nicole Summers, Oliver's childhood friend. Sorry to drop by unannounced."

Here she was, the real deal.

My heart skipped a beat, and I instinctively glanced toward the living room.

Oliver sat up on the couch, his hair sticking out everywhere.

The second he saw Nicole, his face went pale. He scrambled off the couch and jumped in front of me, spreading his arms like he was trying to block her off.

"Nicole, what are you doing here?" he asked sharply, his gaze fixed on her. "Who gave you my address? Don't bring any of that online drama here."

Nicole burst out laughing, playfully pushed his arms aside, and walked right in, dropping the snacks on the coffee table.

She gave the living room a once-over, glanced at the blanket on the couch, then looked at Oliver's messy hair with a knowing look on her face.

"Oliver, why are you blocking me?" Nicole plopped down on the couch, tore open a bag of chips, and grinned. "Relax, I don't bite. Do you really need to be this protective of her?"

"I don't care. Stay away from her," Oliver said, still looking tense. "Don't start talking about rumors. And don't go spreading stuff about me."

I leaned against the doorframe, my shoulders shaking as I tried to hold back my laughter.

This so-called ex wasn't anything like what I'd imagined.

She wasn't bossy, and there was none of that fake-sweet, shady talk either. If anything, she looked like she was enjoying the chaos.

As for Oliver, he looked like a kid about to get caught hiding something.

"Viola, don't listen to his crap." Nicole waved me over, sounding friendly. "Sit here. I'm telling you, all that stuff about his ex was made up by gossip blogs and dragged on for ten years. It's embarrassing."

Oliver jumped in, flustered. "Nicole, stop."

"No." Nicole rolled her eyes, totally unfazed. "Viola, here's the truth. The real Nicole was the little girl next door, whom he used to play with as a kid. She got sick and died when she was seven. I happen to share her name.

"I'm his actual childhood friend, but it's completely platonic. It has absolutely nothing to do with romance."

I was stunned and glanced over at Oliver.

Oliver stood there, totally flustered. He looked like he wanted to shut Nicole up, but didn't dare touch her, probably worried I'd get the wrong idea. That intimidating boss vibe of his was completely gone.

I muttered, "So, all that stuff online about him waiting all these years and never marrying is—"

"Some finance reporter made it up back then, and the rumor kept spreading for ten years," Nicole said, laughing loudly. "He corrected it hundreds of times, but nobody believed him, so eventually, he gave up and let people keep making stuff up.

"And the more people talked about it, the crazier the story got. He was worried you'd see it, get the wrong idea, and start ignoring him.

"Yesterday, the second I got off the plane, he called me eight times, all to tell me not to say the wrong thing. It was so hilarious."

I stared at Oliver, eyes wide in disbelief.

It turned out the so-called ex was actually a little girl with the same name who had passed away years ago. And that whole ten-year love story was only a rumor everyone kept repeating.

The whole "CEO and his perfect first love" storyline was a total mix-up.

Oliver was so scared I'd get the wrong idea that he banged on my door last night, crashed on my couch, and didn't go home. And now he was still nervous.

That faint, sour tightness in my chest melted away in seconds, replaced by a rush of sweetness that made my heart race.

"Oliver." I walked up to him, looked up playfully, and teased, "Why are you so scared I'll get the wrong idea?"

Oliver's gaze settled on my face. He looked like he wanted to say something, but swallowed it back in the end. "Nothing. I simply don't want you to overthink."

He was acting tough and denying it.