Chapter 1
Growing up with Jason White meant falling in love was inevitable. That bubble burst the day I saw a post from his junior in college.
[Jason helped me make it official today! So grateful to have him by my side as I start this next chapter!]
I calmly scrolled past and broke up with him instantly.
Jason frowned.
"Come on, she means her driver's license, not a marriage license. Why are you making such a big deal out of this?
"Look, I know you're upset about failing your driving test again. I'll help you this weekend, okay? We can work through this."
I didn't waste my time trying to explain. I simply turned to leave.
What Jason didn't know was that I'd been planning my exit for weeks. While he'd been getting cozy with his new favorite, I'd already been accepted into an exchange program in Harbor City.
From here on out, he chose his freedom with his friends. I chose a bright future for myself.
My farewell was said, my decision to move on made. The past turned to ash, and we became strangers to every tomorrow.
*****
Vera Williams' "make it official" post went live right as Jason White had his arm around my waist, lounging with his buddies in a private room to play party games.
His friends immediately started ribbing him.
"Dude, Jason, what's the deal? Isn't that junior of yours, Vera, like, majorly into you? That post was basically a love letter."
Jason took a sip of his wine, a teasing smile flickering across his face.
"Come on, man, don't talk crazy.
"My girlfriend is sitting right here."
With that, he tightened his arm around me, pulling me closer against his side.
My stomach twisted with disgust.
I slid his hand off me and reached for my wine, just wanting something to cut through the sour taste in my mouth.
He plucked the glass away without looking.
"Nope," he said. "You know you'll just get a stomachache. You can't have this."
The noise of the room was suddenly suffocating. I muttered a lame excuse about needing the bathroom and slipped out.
Right on cue, my phone buzzed.
I glanced at the screen. It was a message from my professor, Max Goodman.
Max: [Susan Reed, I have an update on your exchange application for Harbor City University. The final roster is out.]
Max: [Keep your GPA up, and you can transfer at the end of this semester.]
Until that second, I'd been on the fence—go to Harbor City, or stay here to keep playing devoted girlfriend to Jason.
But watching him have an affair with other girls, I made up my mind.
Susan: [Got it. I'll make sure my grades are solid. I'll start preparing for the transfer right away.]
When I pushed open the door to the private room again, mentally prepared to have it out with Jason, the scene inside stopped me cold.
Somehow, Vera was there.
She was acting all timid, sitting stiffly beside Jason, but her knee was glued right against his thigh.
I walked straight over to him, meeting his impossibly bright eyes.
"Jason, we're done," I announced.
The boisterous energy in the room instantly evaporated. The air turned ice-cold.
Jason just leaned back against the plush sofa like he couldn't be bothered.
"Seriously?" he drawled. "Just because I took my driving test with Vera and not you? Is it really that big of a deal?
"Her post was for fun. It's a driver's license, not a marriage license. What are you so mad about?"
Seeing my stony expression, Vera slipped her arm through his and piped up.
"He's right, Susan. You're totally misunderstanding things between me and Jason.
"I'm not smart like you, and my family doesn't have money. I've never even really been in a car before, so of course I'm a terrible driver. Jason was just being nice, helping me out."
I didn't even look at her. I just repeated myself, slow and clear.
"Jason. We. Are. Breaking. Up."
Jason scoffed.
"You won't regret that?"
"Not a chance."
Without another word, I grabbed my purse and walked out, not looking back.
Back in the room, Jason looked obviously irritated. He raked his hair in frustration and shoved Vera away from him.
"Dude," one of his friends said, breaking the silence. "I think she's for real this time. You're not gonna go after her?"
Jason kept staring at the door I'd gone through, but he still played it cool.
"I wasn't going to do anything with Vera. What does she have to be so pissed about?
"Just watch. Give it three days. She'll come crying back to me."
The exchange program in Harbor City hadn't been officially announced yet, so I only shared the news with my mom, Mona Reed.
While she was already pulling up travel guides online, she looked over at me.
"Sue, do you remember my friend, Linda Cole? And her son?
"He's been working in Harbor City for years now. It would be good for you to have someone there, just in case."
A fuzzy image of a boy's face from long ago flickered in my mind. I nodded.
"Thanks, Mom."
It was already 7 p.m. by the time we finished dinner.
The second I checked my phone, a new post from Vera popped up on my feed.
[Happiness is about a perfect evening, a post-dinner joyride in a coupe, and my favorite Jason by my side.]
In the picture, she was beaming from the passenger seat of a limited-edition pink sports car. In the top-left corner of the frame, you could just see the driver's wrist. On it was a Rolex Submariner.
The matching one I had given Jason for his eighteenth birthday.
About six months ago, Jason had gotten this wild idea. He wanted to drive north until he found the aurora and found a glittering city just in time to see it covered in snow.
He looked at me seriously.
"Sue, what color and what kind of coupe would get you to run off and see the world with me?"
Back then, things between us were still good. I had playfully pinched his nose.
"Pink. Starlit roof. A Starlight Coupe."
To my surprise, the very next day, he pulled strings and had a limited-edition pink coupe brought in.
"Once we get our licenses, I'm taking you out," he promised.
He even dragged me to sign up for the fancy VIP driving course near campus.
Everything was perfect. And then, out of nowhere, the new girl showed up.
She claimed she was just there for a "trial class." After the eighth time she slammed the gas instead of the brake and drove the training car straight into a hedge, the instructor finally snapped.
He yanked her out of the driver's seat.
"Listen, miss, if you actually want to learn, you need to pay the tuition. Up front.
"Otherwise, you're paying for every last cent of damage to this vehicle."
That girl, of course, was Vera.
She sniffled, her eyes instantly welling up.
"I'm so sorry, sir. I was just trying it out. I didn't mean to crash."
Her voice dropped to a whisper. "My family is poor, and I'm on financial aid. I can't afford the tuition right now, and I definitely can't afford to pay for the car."
The other students in our VIP class started snickering.
"Seriously? She hasn't paid, but she's been hogging the car all day? What a shameless freeloader."
"Yeah, if you're broke, go to the regular class. Why are you wasting our time in the VIP section?"
Facing the chorus of ridicule, Vera bit her lip, and the tears finally spilled down her cheeks.
And that's when Jason stepped forward, placing himself protectively in front of her.
He announced, "I'll pay for her.
"And I'll cover the damages to the car."
The VIP course wasn't cheap. It was ten thousand dollars for the whole program.
I put my hand on his, stopping him before he could swipe his card.
"Jason, cool it," I said quietly. "If she can't afford it, she can go to the public driving school. You don't have to play the hero."