Chapter 2

I saw the way he was grilling me in his messages and couldn't help but scoff inside. I switched my phone to silent, tossed it in my bag, and headed out to hit the shops with my roommates.

Three hours later, I picked up my phone and saw over a dozen missed calls, all from him. There were also several unread WhatsApp messages.

Nathan messaged, [I got the concert tickets. Managed to snag VIP seats.]

[After the show, let's grab some late-night food. You love that barbecue place on Briklo Street, right?]

[Where are you?]

[Are you there?]

[What are you doing?]

[Did something happen?]

I glanced at his messages and snorted to myself.

What could be wrong with me?

I just finally came to my senses and decided to cut myself some slack.

A few days later, I was curled up in my dorm, binge-watching my favorite show.

Suddenly, Kara came running over to my bed and shoved her phone screen right in my face.

She said, "Holy shit, Mira! Check out this post. Doesn't it sound just like you and Nathan?"

I leaned in for a better look.

The title read, [Help! My childhood sweetheart suddenly stopped talking to me. What should I do?]

[We grew up together, our families lived right next door, and we even went to the same college. I've always thought of her as my friend, well, maybe a bit more than that. She used to come to me for everything, and she always depended on me.]

[But lately, she's been totally ghosting me. No replies, won't meet up, and when she sees me, it's like I'm invisible. I'm kinda freaking out here. Am I into her? But now it seems like she can't stand me. What do I do?]

Reading that, it really did sound just like Nathan and me.

However, the details were so vague that I couldn't be certain.

It could just be a coincidence, though.

But as I kept reading, my anger just shot through the roof.

Seriously, were all these jerks the same? They knew someone liked them and just didn't give a damn.

But when that person finally moved on, suddenly, they were all interested and started chasing after them.

Why were guys always like this?

I glanced at the timestamp on the post.

It was posted at 2 a.m. yesterday.

That got me thinking that I was binge-watching videos past 2 a.m. last night.

Nathan messaged me on the video app, [Goodnight. Get some sleep.]

I used to complain that he forgot to keep our daily communication on social media.

But lately, I'd been ignoring him, too, and that daily exchange had been dead for a while.

Just as I was still wondering, he dropped another question.

He updated, [I've been collecting photocards and autographed pictures of her favorite idol. She's a total fangirl. Any other fangirls out there, do you think she'd be excited about this?]

And then he even posted a picture.

Comments started flooding in right away.

[Oh my gosh, that's sweet. I'm so jealous.]

[No way! Another person who admires the same idol!]

[Trust me, she'll be over the moon.]

I tapped on the photo and studied it.

There was a book peeking out in the top right corner, and my name was written on it.

That sealed the deal.

Yeah, the poster was Nathan for sure.

I stared at that line, [I'm kinda freaking out,] and my heart skipped a beat.

But then I saw [I've always thought of her as my friend, well, maybe a bit more than that,] and that little flutter in my chest was instantly doused with cold water.

Oh, men were always like this.

Kara jabbed at the screen, her voice rising in outrage. "Friend? A bit more? Is Nathan seriously pretending? Is he blind or just stupid? Literally everyone knows you're into him!"

I scrolled through the replies, stone-faced.

The top comment was sharp and savage.

[Hey, you don't just "kinda" like her, you're head over heels for her. Just admit it. And seriously, drop the whole "just friend" act. Keep this up, and you'll end up losing her.]

Many people were chiming in, totally agreeing.

As I scrolled down, I froze for a second.

Nathan actually dropped another comment himself.

He typed, [Thanks, everyone. Honestly, I think I've liked her for a long time. But back when other guys were chasing her, she got annoyed and said she couldn't stand clingy guys. So I guessed I should keep my distance and act a little aloof, so I wouldn't come off as annoying. But I totally screwed up. Now it feels like she wants nothing to do with me.]

I was speechless.

What the fuck!

At that moment, I was so pissed that I wanted to throw a punch.

Five years of heartbreak, frustration, and self-doubt all got set on fire by just a few lines.

I always thought he was cold to me because he had no feelings for me, that he had a heart of stone, and nothing could ever melt it.

And then I finally realized this idiot was just playing hard to get with me.

Just because I said I couldn't stand clingy guys, he decided to act all cold and distant for five freaking years?

I was so pissed that I started wailing on my pillow like it was a punching bag, then ended up laughing in disbelief and anger.

I couldn't help but wonder how the hell Nathan's brain even worked.

Kara saw me fuming, then let out a bitter laugh as I rubbed my forehead, and asked, a little nervously, "Mira, are you okay? Want me to go with you and give him a piece of your mind?"

I took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and a mischievous smile crept onto my face.

"Give him a piece of my mind? That's letting him off way too easy," I said.

I grabbed my phone and opened up our chat. The contact name was back to 'Nathan Ramsey,' full name, no cute nicknames.