Chapter 2

At ten in the morning, Ryan showed up at the Linwood house in person.

He was still in the same suit from last night, his tie hanging loose, and he looked tired and a bit haggard.

When he saw me, the first thing he said wasn't an apology. "My mom was so upset because of you, and she didn't sleep at all last night."

I laughed. "Why does it matter to me if she slept or not?"

Ryan's brows furrowed. "Summer, when did you get so cold?"

Here we went again.

That was pretty much all I'd heard these past six months. "When did you turn into this? So petty, so mean, and you never think before you talk."

It was like the moment I stopped tolerating everything, I was the one who'd changed.

I was not the one who changed.

I sat on the couch and didn't even bother to invite him to sit down. "So, Ryan, are you here to return the money, or to break off the engagement?"

His face turned sour. "Did you really have to say it like that?"

"Fine, let me say it in a way that sounds nicer." I lifted my gaze to him. "Are you here to handle this with some dignity, or do you want to embarrass yourself?"

He looked at me as if I was a stranger.

After a long pause, Ryan lowered his voice and said, "Nina lost her dad early in a car accident, and her mom passed away too. My family took her in when she had nowhere else to go.

"I try to look after her a bit more. Why do you have to twist it into something else?"

I shot back, "What do you think I mean?"

He choked for a second.

I smiled. "So you know it's not a good look, huh?"

Ryan fell silent.

I looked at him, and even the last bit of bitterness in my heart was cooling off. "Ryan, I'm not calling off the engagement because of some shrimp.

"It's because, for the past six months, you've always chosen her over me."

The first time was on my birthday.

I waited for him at the restaurant for three hours, and he said he had a last-minute meeting.

Later, I found out he was at the hospital, keeping Nina company while she got an IV.

The second time was on my grandma's death anniversary.

I wanted him to come with me to the cemetery, and he said yes without hesitation.

But then Nina claimed she had a nightmare, and he ditched me to go to her place instead.

The third time was when I had a fever of 102.2°F.

He answered and said he'd come right away. But when he finally arrived, Nina was tagging along.

He said, "Nina was worried about you and wouldn't take no for an answer."

As soon as Nina walked in, she went all apologetic: "Summer, you don't mind me intruding, do you?"

I was burning up, my head was spinning, and yet I still had to turn around and comfort her.

As I laid it all out, Ryan's face finally showed a flicker of panic. "I thought you were okay with it."

"Yeah, I did," I replied, nodding. "I put up with it because I loved you. But even patience has its limits."

Ryan swallowed hard. "Summer, I know I messed up the engagement party. If you want, I can throw you another one."

"Make it up to me?" I couldn't believe it. "With what, exactly? Are you planning to host another party so you can sit there and watch Nina flirt with you?"

His expression turned grim. "Why do you always have to go after her?"

I stood up. "See? After all this, you still think I'm the one picking on her, instead of realizing you're the one who keeps leaving me behind, over and over."

Ryan was left speechless.

Just then, his phone rang. A name flashed on the screen: Nina Sterling.

He glanced at me, almost unconsciously.

I smirked at Ryan. "Go on, answer it. Still calling her Nina Sterling. Keeping it professional, huh?"

He hesitated for a couple of seconds, then picked up.

Whatever Nina said on the other end, his face changed instantly. "Stay put. I'm coming over right now."

After hanging up, he grabbed his coat. "Nina's having an allergy flare-up. Must've been all that shrimp she had last night."

I nearly laughed out loud.

Guess it never crossed his mind she was allergic when he was busy peeling shrimp for her last night.

He made it to the door, then paused and glanced back at me. "Summer, we'll talk about us when I get back."

I didn't respond. I walked over and opened the front door for him. "Ryan."

He turned back.

I said, "You don't need to come back. You're not welcome here anymore."

As the door closed, I could hear his shaky breathing from outside.

But what did it matter?

I waited for him to turn back for so long.

Then he was the one left standing outside, and it was only for a few seconds.