Chapter 2

The dinner was at a private club in the east of the city.

I wore a black dress and went full glam with my makeup.

James didn't say a single word the whole drive, and neither did I.

When we got to the private room, Alex was the first to come out to greet us. "Whoa, James. You brought Ms. Gardner with you tonight?"

He looked a bit surprised to see me, then stepped aside to let us in. "Come on in. Grab a seat."

James never officially introduced me as his girlfriend, but his friends knew who I was.

I sat down next to James and scanned the room.

There were about a dozen people. Half were his friends, and the rest were strangers.

At the far end by the window, there was a woman in a beige knit cardigan.

She was completely makeup-free, her long hair falling over her shoulders. When she smiled, two dimples appeared.

When she saw James walk in, she stood up. "Hello, James."

Her tone was light and intimate, like they were old friends.

James nodded. "When did you get here?"

"I got here a little early. I didn't want to be late." She smiled, then turned her gaze to me. "And who's this?"

The whole room went quiet for a second.

I stared at James's lips, waiting for him to say I was his girlfriend.

"A friend," he replied.

With that answer, I was cut out of his life.

Alex added, loud as ever, "The kind of friend who lives with him."

Someone snickered.

Evelyn smiled and nodded at me. "Hi, I'm Evelyn Lane."

Her tone was polite and proper, as if she were the hostess and I were a guest.

But I was the one who lived with James.

"Hi." I managed a weak smile and poured myself a cup of coffee.

The dinner lasted two hours, and James barely said three sentences to me.

He handed me a tissue once, asked what I wanted to drink, and nodded at me.

The rest of the time, he was chatting with Evelyn. They were talking about her professor at Moonveil Institute of Technology, her research project, and what their high school classmates were up to now.

I couldn't get a word in edgewise.

Lily Lewis, Alex's girlfriend, sat next to me and whispered, "You okay?"

I picked up a piece of fish and put it on my plate. "I'm totally fine."

As the dinner was winding down, Evelyn got up and headed to the restroom.

I set down my fork and followed her.

At the sink, she was touching up her lipstick.

When she saw me in the mirror, she paused, then turned around.

"How long have you been with James?" she asked.

"Two years," I replied.

"That's a long time." She snapped her lipstick shut and tilted her head. "He used to be the type who wouldn't let anyone get close."

She paused, her eyes scanning my face. "It's not easy to stay by his side for so long."

I couldn't tell if she was being sincere or patronizing me.

She added, "But you know him. He always keeps everything bottled up inside."

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

"Nothing special," she said, smiling. As she walked past me, she glanced over. "By the way, is he still wearing that ring?"

I was frozen in place. She was already gone.

The sound of her heels clicking on the tiles was steady and unhurried.

She knew. She knew everything.

That question wasn't about whether the ring was there. It was her way of telling me that the ring had always belonged to her.

*****

James walked ahead as we left the club, with me following close behind.

He opened the car door and got in, and I slid into the passenger seat.

The car started, and neither of us said a word.

The city lights blurred into a long line, and there weren't many cars on the highway.

My eyes were drawn to the silver ring on his right hand, resting on the steering wheel and glinting in the light.

"She knows that ring was meant for her," I finally spoke up.

James didn't respond.

"It's been two years, and none of your friends have ever called me your girl. But Evelyn, the very first day she's back, gets to sit at your dinner table and take the seat of honor," I continued.

"And you were there tonight, weren't you?" he asked back.

"As what?" I turned to look at him. "As a friend?"

He took the car off the highway, slowed down, and pulled over to the side of the road.

The engine was still running, and the heater was blowing warm air.

"Chloe, what do you want?" he asked impatiently.

I wanted you to call me your girl in front of everyone.

I wanted you to file off E.L. inside the ring.

I wanted you to talk to me at dinner, not spend the whole night reminiscing with another woman.

But I couldn't say a word. Saying it would make me look pathetic.

"I want to go home," I finally said.

He started the car again and drove back to the apartment in silence.

Once we got inside, he went straight to the study and shut the door behind him.

I stood in the entryway, still wearing my coat.

My phone buzzed.

It was a WhatsApp message from Alex, but it was obvious he'd sent it to the wrong person. He must've tapped into our chat by mistake.

[Tomorrow at 10:30, James is taking Evelyn to Eastside Medical Center for a check-up. I've got the car ready. Ask him what time he's heading out.]

A few seconds later, he unsent it.

Then a new message popped up. [Sorry, Ms. Gardner. I sent it to you by mistake.]

I didn't reply and set my phone face down on the entryway table.

The study light stayed on all night.

He never came out, and I never went in.

I lay in the king-sized bed alone.

For two years, I did his laundry, waited for him to come home, wore the pajamas he liked, and quietly stayed by his side without ever having a place in his life.

All I got in return was a ring engraved with someone else's initials and being introduced as a friend. And he'd be off to the hospital with his ex tomorrow.

When morning came, I rolled over. There was a small damp spot on the pillow. It wasn't sweat.