Chapter 2

I was from a single-parent home. My mother told me that while she was pregnant, my father cheated. She divorced him without a second thought and raised me on her own.

When she started working for the Cooper family, Matthew's parents, Ewan Cooper and Jennifer Cooper, were incredibly kind. Understanding her situation, they let her bring me to live with them. So, in a way, Matthew and I did grow up together.

Time flew. Suddenly, Ethan and I were high school seniors, and Matthew had been abroad for two years.

One rare weekend off, I was in Ethan's room, trying to cram for an exam. Thanks to his coaching, my GPA had improved significantly. His help meant I could finally escape the torture of those cheap cram schools my mother used to force me into.

As Ethan was explaining a calculus problem, a video call from Matthew popped up on his phone.

Even from across the ocean, Matthew made sure to keep us updated on his thrillingly glamorous life.

We heard about him hiking with a leggy blonde one week and deep-sea diving in the tropics with a French heiress the next. Then came the rumors of him spending the night with a washed-up reality TV star.

*****

His time abroad seemed to be one long party. It gave me the distinct impression that he hadn't gone there to hit the books but rather to sow his wild oats.

When Ethan answered, the screen filled with the image of Matthew in a swimming pool, passionately making out with a beautiful girl.

His chest and shoulders were tan and muscular. The wet, sloppy sounds of their kiss echoed through the phone's speakers.

It was excruciatingly awkward.

Ethan cleared his throat and lowered the volume. He nudged my wrist with his pen, letting out a raspy sound that was, against all odds, a little bit sexy. "Just do your work. Ignore him."

Honestly, I tried to tune it out. But the noise of Matthew sucking face traveled straight to my ears. What was I supposed to do?

It took Matthew five minutes to wrap things up before he graced the screen with his presence again. College had clearly gone to his head. He was far cockier now than he ever was back at school.

Back then, rules had kept him somewhat in check.

Once he went overseas, he didn't hold back at all, sporting everything from dyed hair and diamond studs to fresh ink and hardware in his lip, tongue, and brow.

He looked like the poster child for every bad-boy trope in a romance novel. He had fully embraced his new role as a playboy.

He had been FaceTiming us intermittently for two years. The girl by his side was never the same twice. We had grown accustomed to the pattern, observing it with complete detachment.

Matthew leaned back against the edge of the pool with a lazy look on his face.

"Ethan, how're the grades?" he asked, lighting a cigarette. The smoke momentarily obscured his face.

"Fine," Ethan replied, his eyes never leaving the textbook.

Matthew dragged out a slow 'Oh' and blew a ring of smoke at the camera. "'Fine' for you is genius-level for anyone else. So, where are you thinking?"

"Houner University."

Matthew scoffed, "Aren't they all the same? I don't get why you brainiacs stress so much about it."

He took another drag. "Anyway, it's hopeless talking to you about this. Where's Olivia? Is she there?"

Ethan didn't answer but angled the phone so that I was in the frame.

I cleared my throat and, even though Matthew couldn't see me clearly, I managed a polite greeting.

"Hey, Matthew."

"Ethan, don't hog the camera," Matthew yelled. "Olivia's studying with you, right? Turn the camera around. Let me have a look at her."

Ethan, still not looking up, replied in his usual cool tone, "I'm busy. In the middle of a problem."

Finally, I leaned into the frame myself. Matthew immediately laid on the charm.

He exclaimed, "Wow, Olivia. You get more beautiful every time I see you."

I offered a smile that didn't reach my eyes and a dry little laugh.

"Miss me?" he continued. "You haven't been answering my texts. Buried in homework? Or are you avoiding me?"

Just then, the girl beside him, who may or may not have understood my word, started tugging on his arm, sending ripples through the water. She murmured something I couldn't understand.

For the next ten minutes, Ethan and I were forced to listen to them flirt and coo at each other. We sat like a couple of robots, heads down, afraid to make a sound.

When Matthew finally came back on screen, he had the audacity to look apologetic. "Sorry about that. She's a little clingy," he said.

I said nothing.

Ethan just stayed silent.

"Olivia," Matthew said suddenly.

"What now?" I asked, feeling a little tired of the whole performance.

"I'm coming home next month. You gonna come pick me up?"

I hesitated. It felt inappropriate, to say the least. Wouldn't his little sweetheart get jealous?

But just as I was about to protest, a strange warmth spread through me. The words caught in my throat.

Matthew leaned closer to the camera, a knowing smirk spreading across his face as he seemed to confirm something.

"Olivia, why are you blushing?" he teased. "Is the thought of me coming home really that exciting? Alright, I've got to run to another party. Just be at the airport, okay?"

With that, he hung up in a hurry.

Ethan's phone went dark. He glanced at me, asking, "Your face is bright red. Are you sure you can still focus?"

I looked at him helplessly and replied, "Probably not."

He raised an eyebrow, suggesting, "Wanna do something else, then?"

I rubbed my hands together, a grin spreading across my face. "Bring it on."

*****

Matthew was arriving on a Friday. In the days leading up to it, he bombarded me with calls and texts. I never gave him a straight answer, figuring there would be a whole welcome wagon of his friends there. My presence wouldn't make a difference.

I should have known he would find another way.

When I finally came back to Cooper Villa on Thursday, after a late study session at the library, my mother was waiting to ask my opinion, but I simply shook my head.

I mumbled something about my heavy workload, hoping to deflect the conversation.

She just held up her phone, showing me a text from Matthew, and said, "Olivia, he says his flight gets in right after school lets out. Why don't you go? Max can pick you up from school and take you.

"Matthew has helped you so much over the years, sweetie. It's important to be grateful."

The weight of obligation was heavier than any textbook.

In that way, I agreed.

Ethan was supposed to come with me, but Ewan needed him for a business dinner, so Ethan was picked up before school even ended.