Chapter 2

"Girl, is that your boyfriend? He's kind of scary. Did something happen between you two?" the driver asked.

He was so scared that he stammered, "M-maybe you should talk to him. There are so many cars out there—I'm really afraid something bad might happen if he keeps this up."

I pulled out a stack of cash from my bag and put it in front of him. "Just step on it. He won't actually hit us."

But I really underestimated Alex.

I thought he'd give up after chasing us for a bit, but to my surprise, he kept coming, tailing us the whole way.

The thunderous roar of his motorcycle tore through the night. Alex, dressed in black, gripped the handlebars tight, weaving fearlessly through the traffic.

It wasn't until a red light stopped us that Alex finally caught up.

He knocked hard on the car window, and I'd never seen his face look so terrifying before.

"When did you get your hearing back? Why did you suddenly show up tonight just to break up with me?" he demanded.

His fingers pressed even harder against the glass, and I could see the veins pulsing on his forehead.

"Bonnie, answer me!" he shouted.

Several drivers around us rolled down their windows to watch, all shocked by the drama.

As the light was about to turn green, I waved my phone at him through the window.

Alex immediately looked down and saw someone was calling me. The name on the screen was "Beth."

He froze for a moment, but still chose to answer the call.

I smiled and told the driver to go.

But no one knew just how much it hurt inside at that moment.

"Alex, I just hope you won't let gratitude hold you back—go after the happiness you truly deserve."

Tears splashed onto my phone as I forced myself to erase every trace of him from my contacts.

When I got out of the car, I pulled the popcorn from my pocket and tossed it into the trash.

*****

I'd taken a year off from school, and now that my life didn't revolve around Alex anymore, I suddenly had no idea what to do with myself.

During that time, I went to the hospital for check-ups alone and hung out at the library by myself, reading.

I only really heard from my parents when they wired me a huge allowance.

To keep them from worrying, I kept my injuries a secret.

That was until I saw Beth at a hometown get-together.

"Bonnie, what a coincidence," she said.

Beth was dressed in a low-key Armani fall collection outfit, as if she'd expected me to show up all along.

Beth and I had very different reputations among our classmates.

To them, I was the quiet one—quirky, unpredictable, and hard to figure out.

Meanwhile, Beth was famous for being strong, self-reliant, and always warm and outgoing.

When Beth and I—Alex's ex and his new girlfriends—showed up together, a bunch of students started whispering and gossiping on the sidelines.

"Honestly, Bonnie's the better-looking one."

"Bonnie is always delicate and frail. She took a whole year off for health reasons, but she looks perfectly fine to me."

"She doesn't live in the dorms. She's out there living alone in a luxury apartment—with a fancy car, too. Is her family rich or what?"

"Oh, please. If her family was really that rich, would she be running after Alex like that? Who knows what she's really doing."

"I think Alex likes Beth more. When he was with Bonnie, he never really showed any affection, but for Beth, he's been spending money on her like there's no tomorrow."

"Alex definitely knows how to make the choice. Girls like Beth—strong and kind—are just more likable."

I sat in the corner of the couch, head down, listening to all of it. My hand tightened unconsciously around my coffee cup.

I wanted to say that was not true—that the only reason I didn't live on campus was because I needed to recover and was worried I'd disturb my roommates.

I wanted to get closer to everyone, but I just didn't know how to express it. That was why I came today—to try and break the ice.

"Alex didn't come?" Beth asked out of the blue.

I pressed my lips together and shook my head.

"That's odd. From what I remember, he was super clingy. Back when we were dating, he always wanted to tag along wherever I went. If I turned him down, he'd actually get upset," Beth said.

She giggled. "But if I didn't go looking for him, he'd come running over, all sweet and gentle, just to coax me—like he was scared I'd really ignore him."

I fell silent.

So Alex could really be like that? Was he ever that attached to Beth?

Just as I was zoning out, I vaguely heard someone exclaim, "Damn, Alex is here!"

Before I could even react, someone walked past me, bringing with them that familiar coolness tinged with a hint of mint.

He seemed to pause for a second as he passed by, but then kept going.

I looked up and realized—it was Alex.

As soon as he showed up, Alex picked up the tab for everyone. He didn't just stop there—he upgraded us to a fancier private room and even splurged on a rare, expensive cake, having it delivered right to our table.

For a split second, everyone in the room went dead quiet—then the place exploded with gossip and chatter.

My mind was buzzing, and all the sounds around me faded into a blur.

Before I knew it, everyone's eyes were suddenly on me.

In the hush, Alex's gaze drifted over and settled on me, almost lazily.

"Truth or Dare, Bonnie? You in?" he called out.