Chapter 2
Sure enough, after not spotting me, he called.
His contact photo lit up on my screen.
It was the one I secretly took of him making pasta in the kitchen, his apron crooked, turning back to smile at me.
I stared at that photo, at his smile, while my head kept replaying him kissing someone else.
Those two images layered on top of each other, like two knives cutting back and forth.
After a few calls went unanswered, he hurriedly took Emily home first. His car brushed past mine.
Once his car left the garage, I waited two minutes and drove back to my own place.
The whole way, those scenes kept running through my head.
The more I thought, the harder it got to breathe. I had to pull over, rest my head on the steering wheel, and gasp for air.
My chest felt like something was clogging it. No matter how hard I inhaled, I couldn't get enough.
Tears were all over my face. I wiped them away, but more kept coming.
My phone lit up again. His messages and calls kept coming.
[Olivia, I don't see you.]
[You're messing with me again, right?]
[Why aren't you picking up? Did something happen?]
I waited until after I washed up to answer his call.
"Olivia, you finally picked up." He sounded relieved. "You have no idea how worried I was. I almost called 911 over there."
His anxious tone was genuine.
I laughed. "Adam, you're being weird.
"I was just joking around. Why are you so worked up?"
"What, did you do something to cheat on me and got scared I'd find out?"
Adam's breath caught for a second.
That two second silence made my heart jump and then sink hard.
"I just care too much." He recovered quickly, his voice perfectly innocent. "You said you came back, and I got excited for nothing."
Excited for nothing. Yeah. If I hadn't come back today, he really would have had something to be excited about.
Someone else in his arms, sweet talking me on the phone, juggling both sides without missing a beat.
I didn't say anything.
The line was quiet enough to hear him breathe, steady like nothing happened.
He carefully tested the waters. "Babe, do you want to video call?"
The screen lit up with a video request.
I looked at that green button, my finger hovering over it. If I pressed it, I would see his face right now.
Would he look guilty, or panicked, or still wearing that gentle face I had seen for so many years?
I declined. "I'm too tired today. I want to go to bed early."
"Graduation must be a lot." He paused. "Then let's stay on the call. I'll help you fall asleep."
That was how we always did things.
These two years apart, whether I was sick or couldn't sleep, he would drop everything and talk me to sleep over the phone.
His voice was low and soft, like a blanket wrapping up all my fears. But today, I didn't want that blanket.
"No. We'll meet in a few days anyway." My voice came out calm, like I was talking about a stranger. "Busy with graduation and moving. My head hits the pillow and I'm out."
"All right then," he said, reluctant to let go. "Can't mess with your sleep. Good night. Love you."
After the call ended, the room went dead silent.
Suddenly, my phone buzzed. It was Emily's Instagram post, uploaded an hour ago.
The photo showed a bandaged knee. The cut was small, but wrapped thickly, like some major injury.
The caption read: [So heartbroken, but I still long for that glow.]
I stared at those words for a long time.
So from the very beginning, she wasn't envying me for having the best boyfriend. She envied me for having the one she wanted.
I turned off the lights, and the darkness pressed in from all sides.
He said "Good night." But I knew, no one would sleep tonight.