Chapter 2

Ryan looked stunned.

On our third anniversary, I went out of my way to book a nice restaurant for us.

Just to keep his germaphobia in check, I even called the place ahead of time to make sure everything was squeaky clean.

I waited for him after work, all happy and hopeful, only to hear he was off walking Emily's dog instead.

I called him, practically shouting, "Do you like Emily or something?"

He snapped back, telling me to stop being dramatic, said Emily was like a little sister to him, and accused me of making a scene for no reason.

Somehow, I ended up apologizing, and after that, he always pointed to this as proof I was being unreasonable.

The tension in the room was getting thicker by the second.

Chris let out a couple of awkward laughs, trying to smooth things over. "Sophie, you're really understanding."

He gave me a thumbs-up. "Ryan's lucky to have you."

I flashed him a teasing smile. "Honestly, he's even luckier to have you around."

Chris scratched his head, looking at me, totally lost.

The waitress, who'd been standing there for ages, finally spoke up. "Can I start serving the food now?"

Everyone snapped out of it and took their seats.

Emily scooted right back next to Ryan.

Mark shot me a mocking grin.

Chris immediately called Emily over.

Emily pouted, refusing to move, and clung to Ryan as her life depended on it.

Ryan didn't say a word, but gave me a heavy, meaningful look.

I glanced around. Only the seats next to Chris, Mark, and Ryan were left.

I walked over and sat down beside Chris.

Chris glanced at me, then at Ryan, looking a bit nervous. "Sophie, why are you sitting here?"

I smiled at him. "Because you're the only one here who knows how to talk nicely."

Chris's face turned red, and he quickly looked down.

Emily was great at keeping things lively. After a few drinks, everyone was laughing and chatting, totally vibing with each other.

They raised their glasses, sharing stories I had no clue about, faces full of nostalgia.

I sat there, listening quietly, and for the first time, something inside me relaxed.

Some friendships are the kind an outsider can never really fit into.

I sniffled, quietly eating my food.

The wine bottle next to Ryan suddenly burst open.

Everyone stared at him, except me.

Emily, her words slurred from the drinks, asked, "Ryan, are you okay?"

Ryan brushed it off. "It's nothing, I knocked the wine bottle over by accident."

Mark let out a snort of laughter.

I kept eating.

Chris, sitting next to me, kept fidgeting, clearly uncomfortable.

I couldn't help but ask, "Got hemorrhoids or something?"

Chris immediately denied it. "No, I don't! Don't make stuff up."

"Fine." I went back to eating.

"Sophie," Ryan called out, his voice low and commanding. "Come here."

Everyone put down their forks.

I looked up at Ryan.

His lips were pressed into a thin line, and he looked clearly upset.

I smiled at him, a little defiant. "No."

Ryan's face, which had started to relax, stiffened again. "Why not?"

"I'm on my period. I don't want to get you dirty," I replied.

Chris let out a snicker, but when he saw Ryan's dark expression, he quickly shut up.

Mark narrowed his eyes.

Ryan frowned at me, taking a while before he finally said, "I'm not—"

Emily interrupted, rolling her eyes, "It's gross anyway.

"You messed up Ryan's car. That's why he kicked you out."

I looked up at Ryan, my body stiff, and for a split second, I caught a flash of panic in his eyes.

He snapped, "Emily, that's enough."

Emily ignored him. "Seriously, you knew your period was coming. Why didn't you bring anything?"

I shot Emily a cold look, then swept my gaze over everyone else, who were all staring at their plates. Finally, I fixed my eyes on Ryan.

He looked away, clearly feeling guilty.

In that huge private room, the only sound was my own ragged breathing.

Suddenly, I felt like none of this mattered anymore.

I grabbed my bag and headed for the door, but Ryan hurried after me, looking anxious. "Come on, don't make a fuss. We barely get to hang out.

"Don't walk out over something so small.

"I know I messed up today, but honestly, you should've been able to control yourself."

Exhaustion hit me so hard, I didn't even have the energy to speak.

Looking at Ryan's smug face, for once, I didn't care to explain.

I yanked my hand away from his. "Let's break up."

Ryan froze.

He frowned at me. "Just over something so trivial? Is it really worth it?"

I stared right at him. "Yes."

My voice wasn't loud, but everyone heard it.

Everyone was stunned.

Mark's hand stopped mid-air, his glass still hovering.

Ryan's face turned stormy as he glared at me.

Emily sobered up pretty quickly. She stood up, cheeks flushed. "Sophie, we're both girls. No need to pull the whole 'breakup to get him back' move. It makes you look desperate."

Ryan laughed. "Emily's right. Sophie, don't play these games. It's not fun anymore."

I looked him dead in the eye. "I'm not joking."

But Ryan didn't buy it.

He waved me off. "Just go home. I'll hang out with them for a while and come back later.

"Be good while I'm gone."

I didn't even bother to respond. I turned and walked out.

Right as I was closing the door, I heard Chris ask, "Ryan, aren't you scared she'll really dump you?"

Ryan scoffed. "She's got nobody. If she leaves me, where's she gonna go?

"I've known what she wants all these years."

I tripped a little, but caught myself and hurried away even faster.

The night air blew away the heat from the room and cleared my head.

Ryan's last words kept echoing in my mind, refusing to fade away.

Three years ago, my grandma, the one who raised me all alone, suddenly had a stroke. Ryan was out of town for work, but as soon as he found out, he rushed back.

He helped me find a doctor and stayed with her in the hospital for her last week.

When my grandma passed away, I was a wreck. Ryan handled everything for the funeral.

After the funeral, I broke down in front of him, sobbing that I had no home left.

Ryan looked at me, his heart aching, and said, "I'm still here. I'll give you a home."

I needed a home so badly that I kept swallowing my pride, again and again.

But in the end, that stubborn hope made me lose my dignity.

I always had to stumble through pain and confusion before I finally figured things out.

I let out a quiet sigh and kept walking.