Chapter 2

I didn't bother with the cakes. Instead, I went home alone to pack up my things.

I tossed the toothbrush, the dark gray towel, and the mouthwash cup from the bathroom counter straight into the trash.

No matter which place I moved into, I always made sure to have two of everything at home.

I always thought he'd just show up in Southport one day and surprise me.

So I stubbornly kept space for him, always leaving room just in case.

Now he's finally back, but the surprise wasn't for me after all.

Andrew didn't come home all night, and Emily posted on her social media.

[The best thing about being sick? Getting someone to watch a movie with you at 2 AM.]

The photo showed the projector screen, and a guy's face, totally absorbed and gentle.

It was the movie I'd nagged Andrew about over and over, but he always brushed it off as boring.

I hit like on her post.

Three minutes later, Andrew's message popped up.

[Get ready and come downstairs. It's Grandma's 80th birthday today. I'll pick you up on the way to Hayes Manor.]

Today was supposed to be the day we officially announced our engagement to the family.

When I got downstairs, Emily was already sitting in the passenger seat.

She was holding a steaming latte, and with her other hand, she was twirling a key to Andrew's place.

The keychain had a handmade lucky knot I'd woven myself, now smudged with coffee.

She turned to me with a smile. "Charlotte, you don't mind if I hitch a ride, do you?"

Andrew put on a song that Emily liked.

"Emily just got over her fever, and I didn't want to leave her alone at home. Thought I'd bring her to Hayes Manor so she could get some fresh air," he said.

"Besides, she's still not fully back to normal.

"You take the back seat."

Half an hour later, we pulled up to Hayes Manor.

Emily eagerly unbuckled her seatbelt. "Wow, I can already smell the food!"

She went straight to Andrew, and the two of them walked in shoulder to shoulder.

I followed behind them, feeling like a background character in my own story.

Inside the hall, Andrew's grandma sat in a grand high-backed chair right in the center.

"Andrew, bring your fiancée over so I can get a good look at her," she called out.

Emily stepped forward with a sweet smile. "Grandma, wishing you endless happiness and good health."

Andrew's grandma smiled and patted her hand. "So you're the young lady Andrew brought home last year, right?

"You're so lovely. No wonder Andrew can't stop talking about you."

The relatives who were in the know exchanged looks, and suddenly, every pair of eyes in the room was on me.

I lifted my cup and took a careful sip of warm water, just to give my hands something to do.

Last New Year's Eve, I was all alone in Northbridge, just staring at a table set with cold New Year's Eve dinner.

Andrew called and told me there was a huge problem with his project, and everyone was stuck at the office working overnight.

But in reality, his "all-nighter" was him taking Emily home to meet his family.

Andrew's grandma slipped a perfect ruby bracelet off her wrist and gently slid it onto Emily's wrist.

"This is the Hayes family bracelet, passed down to Andrew's future wife. Today, I'm giving it to you," she said.

"Andrew, I...I really shouldn't accept this. Grandma got the wrong person," Emily said softly, sounding a bit shy.

But even as she protested, her hand never moved to take it off.

Andrew leaned in and spoke quietly to me, "Charlotte, let Emily hold onto the bracelet for now. Once the party's over, I'll make sure she gives it back to you."

"Just be understanding, okay? Don't make a fuss today," he added.

I shook my head. "No, let her keep it."

Andrew was caught off guard for a moment, then a hint of approval flashed in his eyes.

"I'm glad you're okay with it. Honestly, it suits Emily. I'll buy you a new one sometime," he said.

I set my cup down.

The coffee was fragrant, Blue Mountain, Emily's favorite. Even Andrew's grandma had memorized what she liked.

This was my first time inside the Hayes family home, but Emily was practically a regular here.

"Since you've already given her the bracelet, just let her keep it," I said.

"Andrew, let's break up."