Chapter 2

The next morning, I went to the registrar's office to file my leave paperwork.

My advisor looked over the form and sighed. "Emily, your grades would get you into our own grad program without breaking a sweat. You really want to drag yourself overseas? Have you thought this through? Two years is a long time."

"I've thought about it," I said, smiling. "I want a different city and a clean start."

My luck ran out on the front steps.

Alex and Sophie were coming straight at me.

Sophie was wearing the hoodie that was supposedly ruined, and it looked spotless, nearly new. She had both hands around Alex's arm, her whole body pressed into his side, laughing loud enough to turn heads.

Alex broke stride when he saw me and started to pull his arm free, but Sophie had it locked down, so he let it go.

His eyes went to the envelope in my hand, and one eyebrow lifted. "Up early. What's all that for? Don't tell me you waved a withdrawal form at your advisor to scare somebody."

We had fought like this before. Once, I got angry enough to say I would drop out and go home, and he decided I was putting on a show.

Every decision I made, in his mind, was a bid for his attention.

Sophie chimed in from the side, sweet as syrup. "You're really committed, Emily. Up at dawn to put on a whole performance so Alex feels bad. He was drunk last night, that's all. Send the money, say sorry, and he'll forgive you."

I looked at the two of them and almost laughed.

"Excuse me," I said.

I had nothing else to say to either of them, so I stepped around to go.

Alex caught my wrist and squeezed hard enough to hurt.

"What is this attitude, Emily?" He kept his voice down, anger packed tight underneath it. "You block my number, you don't pick up, and now you look right through me? How long are you going to keep this going?"

"I told you. We broke up." I pulled my wrist loose and held his eyes. "Which part was unclear?"

"Broke up?" He scoffed and pointed at Sophie. "Because I'm nice to her? Grow up, Emily. She grew up without parents, she's one of my best friends, that's all it is. What kind of filth is running through your head?"

"Sure. Best friends." I met Sophie's stare and smiled. "Do best friends wear matching sneakers? Sit in your lap in front of everyone? Call you out to game while your girlfriend is doubled over with cramps?"

Alex's face stiffened. "That's ancient history. Why are you dragging it up?"

"I'm not dragging anything up. I'm listing facts." I straightened my collar. "You two are so close, so keep each other. I mean it, Alex. Stay away from me."

I walked off without looking back.

Behind me, Sophie's voice went small and hurt. "You see how she is, Alex? Did I do something wrong? Maybe I should go explain myself to her."

To follow him here, I turned down the best art school in the country for a university I never wanted. I learned to cook because takeout upset his stomach. I grew my hair long and wore girlish dresses I hated because he liked them.

I knew that tone of certainty by heart, and all it left me with was sadness.

That was seven years of my life.

I had loved him since our first year of high school and never stopped throughout college.

To follow him here, I turned down the best art school in the country for a university I never wanted. I learned to cook because takeout upset his stomach. I grew my hair long and wore girlish dresses I hated because he liked them.

I made myself smaller and smaller for him and told myself something good would grow out of it.

What grew was something he wiped off his shoe without ever looking down.

At least I was getting out.