Chapter 3

After saying that, Brandon's twin eagerly went to place the order and soon came back with a steaming caramel macchiato, plus a beautifully presented cake.

"Give this a try. It's their signature dessert," he said, nudging the cake toward me, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.

I scooped up a small piece with my spoon and tasted it. It was sweet without being overwhelming, and it melted away as soon as it touched my tongue.

"This is delicious," I said.

His smile grew even brighter, like a kid who got a gold star at school.

Compared to the icy Brandon from yesterday, he was like a whole new person today.

As I ate the cake, I casually asked, "By the way, didn't you mention your school's physics lab has been super busy lately? How come you're free today?"

His smile froze for a second, and he avoided my eyes. "Uh, well, the experiments aren't busy today, so I-I took the day off."

"Really?" I dragged out the word, sounding extra skeptical. "But yesterday, I saw your brother sharing his location. He checked in at your school's physics lab, saying he was pulling an all-nighter crunching numbers.

"He even joked about being so busy he barely had time to breathe.

"You two brothers are really opposites. One is so free he can take a day off while the other has to work through the night."

Brandon's face instantly lost all color.

His hand holding the coffee cup trembled, and his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but not a single word came out.

I snickered to myself and kept pushing. "You know, you and your brother look so much alike.

"Last time I bumped into him on the street, I thought he was you and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and gave me this look like I'd totally lost my mind. Talk about awkward."

"That's just how he is," Brandon mumbled, avoiding my gaze.

"Really? I think he's pretty decent. Sure, he's a bit cold, but he seems super responsible. Unlike some people who are just good at smooth-talking," I said, letting out a dramatic sigh.

"I'm not just a smooth-talker," Brandon protested, his voice rising. "I meant everything I said."

"Oh, really?" I arched an eyebrow. "Then why don't you tell me your name?"

He was completely dumbfounded, mouth hanging open, his face flushing bright red.

"I... I'm Brandon Winter," he blurted out, still making one last desperate attempt to stick to his story.

"I don't think so," I said, shaking my head. I pulled out my phone, opened up that forum post, and shoved it right in front of him.

I continued, "This guy, the one posting about being a stand-in for love, has a profile pic like yours. His story lines up with yours too. But his name isn't Brandon Winter. His name is—"

I deliberately paused, letting the suspense hang in the air.

Brandon was sweating bullets, staring at me with panic and desperation in his eyes, practically begging me not to say it.

"Need me to jog your memory? His name is Elliot Winter." I dragged out each syllable for effect.

The moment I said it, he wilted. Head down, he sat there, completely silent.

Soft music played in the café, and I watched him quietly, letting him take his time.

After a long while, he finally mumbled, his voice barely audible, "I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for?" I asked.

"I shouldn't have lied to you," Elliot said, his voice trembling, almost on the verge of tears. "My name is Elliot Winter. Brandon is my brother.

"I was the one who wrote you those love letters, the one who chatted with you, the one who went shopping and watched movies with you.

"Brandon just stepped in occasionally to cover for me. I'm sorry, Sofia. If you're angry, go ahead and let me have it. I won't blame you."

Seeing him looking like he was about to burst into tears, whatever anger I had was gone.

Honestly, I kind of got a kick out of it.

I cleared my throat and put on a serious face. "Yell at you? What good would that do? Tell me, Elliot, do you really think I'm that gullible? That I'm easy to fool?"

"No! Absolutely not!" Elliot shook his head frantically, his voice desperate. "I just... I was crazy about you. I was terrified that if I told you the truth, you'd want nothing to do with me."

"So you roped your brother into pretending with you?"

"I..." Elliot choked up, his eyes growing even redder. "Brandon only did it because I pushed him."

Seeing him with those soft puppy eyes, all innocent and pitiful, I couldn't bring myself to stay mad.

Never mind. No more messing with him.

I stood up, grabbed my bag, and said, "Alright, that's it for today. I need some time to clear my head."

"Sofia!" Elliot jumped up, grabbing my wrist and holding on tight, his grip surprisingly strong. "Don't go!"

Elliot's eyes were red and teary as he looked at me, his voice shaking. "Are you really going to break up with me?

"Please, don't break up with me, okay? I promise I'll never lie to you again. I'll do anything you say."