Chapter 2

Travis loved sleeping in a sleeping bag, bundling himself up like a caterpillar in a cocoon.

I'd always tease him about it, and he'd just ruffle my hair with that resigned look. "Seriously, I just can't sleep without my sleeping bag," he'd say.

Why did Cindy buy a men's sleeping bag?

A mysterious boyfriend, same build, same sleeping bag.

Everything that happened today felt a little off.

Even someone as oblivious as me could sense that something was up.

Cindy came out of the bathroom and took the package from me.

I tried to sound casual as I asked, "So, Cindy, are you and your boyfriend actually living together now?"

"Kind of," she replied, giving the package a little shake. "He can't sleep unless it's his own bed. Any change and he's up all night. Travis is always saying he sleeps well in his sleeping bag, so I thought I'd get one for my guy to see if it helps."

Seriously, what was I even thinking?

Then I teased her, "You're so nice to your boyfriend, but you're all secretive with me. Don't tell me…"

Cindy blinked. "What?"

I joked, "Don't tell me you're putting me behind him now? Not happening, okay?"

She laughed and linked her arm with mine. "No way! You'll always be my bestie!"

"That's more like it," I said, pulling a gift box out of my suitcase and handing it to her. "I cut my business trip short just for this. Go on, open it."

Cindy was totally stunned when she opened the box.

Inside was a Hermès bag.

She just stared, looking dazed, her eyes glistening with tears and her lips trembling.

"What? Don't you like it?" I asked, suddenly feeling a little nervous.

"Of course I love it! How did you know?" Cindy threw her arms around me, hugging me tight.

Right before my business trip, I totally overheard her chatting on the phone about how much she wanted this bag.

But it was completely sold out back in Asotin.

I literally scoured every boutique in the neighboring cities until I finally scored one.

Ran on zero sleep for three nights straight just so I could surprise Cindy and get back early.

When I paid, the salesperson told me I was insanely lucky. There were only two of these limited-edition bags in the whole world, and the other one had already been claimed.

Yeah, I was lucky to have Cindy as my friend.

Cindy was my classmate back in elementary school. I was super shy and always got picked on by the other kids.

But Cindy was always there, stepping in front of me to shield me from trouble.

She switched schools after a while, but years later, we bumped into each other again in high school.

Back in our senior year, my family needed money for my brother's wedding and tried to force me to quit school and marry for the dowry. Cindy was the one who helped me run away, just like she always did.

We both got into college in Asotin. I was a straight-A student, and whenever I got a scholarship, I'd always share half with her.

After graduation, my career took off in no time.

I helped Cindy get into a top company with great prospects right away.

We always had each other's backs. We were not related by blood, but we were closer than family.

Suddenly, there was a loud thud from the bedroom.

"What was that?" I asked, about to get up and check.

Cindy grabbed my arm. "My room's a total mess. Something probably just fell over. Don't you dare go in there! You'll just make fun of me again."

With that, she got up and headed toward the bedroom.

I flopped back down. "Alright, I won't go. Honestly, I was just worried you'd rope me into cleaning up your mess. That chaos in your room? No way I'm dealing with it."

Cindy always looked flawless when she was out, but her place was a total disaster. If I didn't have someone come clean for her every week, I honestly didn't know what kind of chaos she'd be living in.

No idea how long I was out until the sound of the door opening snapped me awake. Only then did I realize I'd actually dozed off.

I'd gotten up at three in the morning to catch my flight, so I was totally wiped out.

Suddenly, it hit me. If Travis, my jealous boyfriend, found out I came straight to Cindy's place before heading home, he'd totally throw a fit.

He would definitely make a fuss.

I jumped up. "Cindy, I really gotta head home now."

Cindy came out of the bedroom in her pajamas. "Want me to walk you to the door?"

I rolled my eyes. "You're already in your pajamas. If I still made you see me out, what kind of friend would I be?"

She grabbed my hand and whined playfully, "I stayed up late last night and had to get up super early today. Evelyn, you're the sweetest. I knew you'd worry about me!"

Her scent felt oddly familiar.

She let go quickly. Before I could think further, my eyes landed on something dark green on the sofa.

The pattern on it was one Evelyn had designed herself for Travis and her wedding. There was literally no other tie like it in the world.

I froze, staring at Cindy in confusion.

Cindy giggled. "Seriously, you forgot? The night before your trip, we had dinner, and Travis left his tie here."

I blinked, then it clicked. That did happen.

I said, "How long does he expect me to babysit his stuff? Is he waiting for door-to-door service or something?"

Cindy replied, "Come on, you know how Travis and I are. We can barely tolerate each other. Less contact, less drama. Since you're here, just take it off my hands."

After saying goodbye to Cindy, I hurried home happily. As soon as I opened the door, I called out, "Surprise! Honey, I missed you!"

But instead of Travis, I was greeted by nothing but an empty house.

The place felt cold and deserted, like no one had lived there for days.