Chapter 2

Lauren's face instantly turned pale.

Ethan, being attentive, quickly asked if the cold was getting to her.

"It's a bit chilly. Let's find somewhere to sit and talk," he suggested.

Before I knew it, Ryan had already pulled me into a BBQ restaurant and sat me down at a table.

Under the warm lights, I finally got a good look at Ethan, who was sitting across from me.

He was seriously attractive—around 6 feet tall, stylish, and looked like a movie star. I could tell plenty of girls were obsessed with him.

Lauren, of course, was one of those girls. While we waited for the food, she practically leaned against him.

"Ethan, can you really stomach food this greasy? Should we try another place?" she asked softly. Ryan and I had never seen her being so considerate.

"Here, have a chicken wing. Want some pork too?" she said with a sweet smile.

Ethan just lounged there carelessly, letting Lauren fuss over him.

Seeing this, Ryan frowned a little. "Isn't it usually the guy who takes care of the girl?" he said.

But Lauren didn't appreciate him speaking up for her. She instantly fired back, "When a girl really loves someone, she just wants to do more for him."

As she said this, she glanced at me—maybe on purpose, maybe not—but only for a split second before turning her eyes away.

I'd never seen this side of Lauren before.

During our six months together, she was always the one being taken care of.

It was her who asked me out. She was my childhood sweetheart and my best friend's sister, so I treated her with extra care.

Anytime she said she was cold, I'd be ready in seconds with a scarf, gloves, a hat, and even a hand warmer.

When we had dinner together, she would sometimes ask me to feed her.

Even when her shoelaces came undone, she wouldn't bother bending down to fix them herself—she'd just stop on the sidewalk and look at me with those puppy eyes, expecting me to do it for her.

I spoiled her without limits because she was my girlfriend. I thought that was what a good boyfriend should do.

But sometimes I wondered—did she really love me, or did she just love being loved?

Before I could figure it out, the answer hit me like a slap in the face.

It was painfully obvious when a girl loved someone—and when she didn't.

Seeing her now, I realized that she just didn't love me enough.

I tipped my head back and downed half a can of beer in one go.

Ryan ordered another round, then leaned in close, his tone sly as he whispered in my ear, "Let's mess with Ethan a bit—help me test how he holds his liquor."

He kept pushing drinks on Ethan, totally ignoring all the disapproving looks Lauren gave him. Instead, he just kept bombarding Ethan with one relationship question after another, never backing off.

Ethan started looking a bit flushed. He was slightly tipsy now and just answered everything Ryan asked. "We're all from the same college, right? Lauren and I are in the same department, just not the same year.

"She had a crush on me since freshman year? I had no idea. She never showed it. I just thought she was cute and polite.

"She's been asking me to spend Christmas with her since last month. And... just earlier tonight, she confessed."

I listened in a daze.

Love at first sight, quiet devotion, finally being together—it would've been a beautiful love story if I weren't the fool stuck in the middle of it.

Too bad that the girl acting all sweet and caring for her new boyfriend right now was still whispering goodnight and telling me she loved me just last night.

Behind that lovely face was a heart full of lies.

Ethan couldn't handle his liquor. His face was completely red by the end.

Lauren looked worried. But since Ethan had driven there, she had to drive him home and couldn't drink for him.

So she quietly took his glass and poured the beer under the table when no one was watching.

But I saw it.

Back when we were together, she never cared how much I drank.

Once, I got wasted at a party with my advisor and called her to pick me up. She told me she'd already taken a shower, put on a face mask, and didn't feel like going out.

Thinking about that, I tapped the table and said coldly, "If you don't want to drink, fine. But pouring it out's just a waste."

Ethan took it as an insult. Drunk and irritated, he shoved Lauren's hand away and muttered, "Leave me alone. Who told you to dump my drink?"

Lauren's face froze in embarrassment. She shot me a look full of anger and hurt.

The rest of the meal was painfully awkward.

When it finally ended, both Ryan and I were drunk. There was no way we'd stay up gaming tonight.

"You guys live close, right? Lauren will drive me home, then she can drop you off using my car," Ethan said.

He was obviously drunk beyond reason—way too friendly and pushy—and before I could react, he had already shoved Ryan and me into the back seat.

I was still mostly sober and wanted to get out.

But Ryan had already passed out with his head in my lap, snoring away.