Chapter 1
Ryan had a girl as a best friend.
They were so close that they'd drink from the same cup of coffee and share the same ice cream.
Even at our engagement party, they kissed each other, saying it was just because they lost a round of truth or dare.
Ryan tried to tell me not to overreact.
"She's just my best friend. Don't be so jealous," he said.
I wasn't mad at all; I just gave him the ring back.
"Hope you two last forever," I said.
*****
The crowd started cheering and egging them on. Everyone was shouting, "Kiss!"
I stood outside the crowd, coldly watching Ryan and Jessie in the center.
Ryan held Jessie tightly, pressing her head against his shoulder.
He looked at Jessie, all soft and indulgent. He said, "Alright. Cut it out, Jessie's already getting shy."
Someone shouted, "She lost at truth or dare. Ryan, are you gonna kiss her or not? If you won't do it, I will."
Ryan cupped Jessie's face and kissed her on the lips.
He held the kiss for more than ten seconds before finally letting go, with the crowd cheering and whistling all around.
Jessie was blushing hard, hiding her face as she giggled nonstop.
Ryan finally looked up and noticed me standing outside the crowd.
It was like he'd just snapped out of a daze, suddenly realizing today was actually our engagement party.
Just half an hour ago, he'd been down on one knee, asking me to marry him.
Ryan quickly let go of Jessie, scrambling to explain.
He said, "Allison, Jessie lost at truth or dare. I was just playing along.
"Don't get me wrong, she's just a good friend of mine."
Jessie's eyes welled up with tears as she lowered her head.
Everyone started talking at once, trying to defend them.
One said, "What's the big deal about a kiss? They've even crashed in the same bed before."
Another chimed in, "They've been like this forever. If anything was gonna happen, it would've happened ages ago. Why do you even care, Allison?"
I smiled, gently turning the ring on my finger.
Yeah, that's how it had always been.
Ryan and Jessie would share ice cream, drink from the same cup of coffee, and even crash in the same bed.
And they would always tell everyone they were just best friends.
I took the ring off my finger and put it on the table, staring right at Jessie.
I said, "Here, you can have the ring.
"And the engagement party, too.
"Hope you two last forever."
After all, trash belonged with trash.
The whole place went dead silent.
Jessie's face went white instantly, two lines of tears falling from her eyes.
She teetered there, looking like she was about to shatter into pieces.
Jessie said, "Allison, I swear I didn't mean to.
"Ryan and I are just friends. If it bothers you, I won't ever speak to him again."
Ryan and Jessie's friends started turning on me.
"Allison, why are you being so uptight?" one of them called out.
"Yeah, Ryan and you aren't even married yet. What, after you get hitched, Ryan can't hang out with any of us anymore?" someone else piped up.
"Can you stop being so uptight?" Ryan said, grabbing my arm.
His eyes were icy as he added, "How many times do I have to say it? Jessie and I are just friends."
I looked at him.
I snapped, "Best friends who share a bed, huh?"
Jessie stomped her foot, tears streaming down her face as she pointed at me.
She cried, "Allison, you're out of line."
She covered her face and ran off, sobbing.
Ryan grabbed my arm, his eyes so cold that they could chill me to the bone.
He leaned in, his voice low and biting as he demanded, "Are you happy now?"
He shoved me back hard, not even blinking as my back crashed into the three-tiered wedding cake behind me.
Then he ran after Jessie.
I sat there on the floor, watching as the dress I'd picked out so carefully got smeared with frosting.
Shards of glass had cut my palm, blood mingling with the frosting smeared across the floor.
The pain in my back left me speechless.
Clutching my injured palm, the sharp pain slowly brought me back to my senses.
I kept my eyes tightly closed.
After a long while, I dragged myself up, limping and shaky.
I didn't cry.
Jessie was right.
She'd texted me late last night: [In love, there's no such thing as a homewrecker. The real loser is the one who isn't loved.]
I lost this battle of love.
I gave up.