Chapter 1

At the party, my friends started egging us on, asking when Melvin Wiley and I were finally going to get married.

I shot him a knowing smile, waiting to see how he'd respond.

But Melvin just went quiet and abruptly steered the conversation somewhere else.

The friend who'd been egging us on gave me an awkward, apologetic glance.

I kept smiling and took a sip of my drink.

I tend to put things off sometimes, but it's not a big deal.

So I decided to let it go, for Melvin, and for myself.

The little awkward moment faded fast, and everyone kept having a blast at the party.

I joined in the laughter and fun, genuinely congratulating the stars of the night. My bestie Lucy Barrett and her boyfriend.

Everyone was teasing us because, right in the middle of the party, Lucy's boyfriend dropped to one knee and proposed to her.

Now, out of everyone here, only Melvin and I showed no signs of tying the knot yet.

While we were playing games, Lucy switched seats to sit next to me and quietly slipped her hand into mine.

I gave her a reassuring smile.

Back in the day, Melvin and I were the first ones in our group to get together.

Everyone just assumed we'd be the first to get married, too.

But here we are, six years later, still just boyfriend and girlfriend.

As the party wound down, everyone else started heading out, leaving just Melvin, Lucy, her boyfriend, and me behind.

Lucy gave me a hug and whispered in my ear, "Daniela, no matter what happens, don't let yourself be unhappy." Lucy's voice was soft but full of concern.

I hugged her back and smiled. "I won't." Daniela felt a warm reassurance in her heart.

After watching Lucy and her boyfriend leave, I was about to get in the car with Melvin.

But Melvin kept his eyes on his phone and said without looking up, "Ellen's working late at the office, and her phone ran out of balance, so she can't book a ride. I'm going to pick her up."

I nodded. "Sure."

I slipped my phone back into my pocket.

The moment Melvin mentioned Ellen Shannon, I was already pulling out my phone to order a cab, like it was second nature.

Luckily, right as he finished talking, I managed to snag a cab.

He glanced at me. "You had quite a bit to drink tonight. Go home and get some rest. I'm heading out."

I just murmured, "Yeah."

As his car drove past, I walked a few steps away so I wouldn't get a faceful of exhaust.

After a while, my phone buzzed with a message from him. It was a voice note.

Normally, I'd immediately dig out my headphones to listen to his voice.

But tonight, I was just too lazy, so I just let it auto-transcribe.

"I'll head home after I drop her off. Don't overthink it," he said.

That was rare. Back when he'd ditch me for Ellen, he never used to send any follow-up texts to reassure me.

I just sent back a quick "Okay."

The little 'typing...' bubble showed up, but he never actually sent a message.

Honestly, I didn't even care anymore.

After finally deciding to let go, it was like a weight had been lifted off my chest.

Back then, because of Melvin's childhood friend Ellen, I was always anxious, always second-guessing myself, and honestly, I stopped feeling like myself.

I went off the rails and argued with Melvin over Ellen more times than I can count.

But he'd just look at me, cold as ice.

"Are you done yet? I see Ellen as a little sister. Her parents asked me to look after her, so I just look out for her a little more, that's all," he'd say.

"I got her a job at the company because she's actually capable. Don't be so suspicious," he'd add.

"If that's what you want to believe, I can't stop you," Melvin would say.

Same old lines, over and over. I could recite them in my sleep.

When I got home, I didn't wait up for Melvin. I just hit the sack, feeling oddly at peace with myself.

Of course, he didn't show up all night. Figures.

Honestly, I wasn't even surprised.

My phone buzzed with a message.

He said: [Ellen's place lost power last night, so I ended up helping her out late. I didn't want to wake you, so I didn't come home.]

[But I booked a hotel room instead of crashing at her place.]

He was always pretty upfront about Ellen, never tried to hide anything from me.

He figured as long as he explained himself, everything would be fine.

My phone buzzed again.

He said: [I booked a table at that restaurant you like. Let's have dinner tonight.]

Classic him.

He'd explain himself, then toss me a little treat, and whether I accepted it or not, he'd just act like it was all settled.

As long as he thought he'd made things clear, he figured I shouldn't bring it up again.

More times than I could count, I'd finally lose it and start yelling, desperate for him to actually get where I was coming from, but he'd just give me that blank look, like he had no idea why I was so worked up.

It was like I was just making a fuss over nothing.

So most of the time, I'd choke down all my feelings and put on a brave face, acting like the grown-up one just to keep the peace and make him feel good.

I just texted back: [Okay.]

Melvin could eat spicy food, but it was never really his thing. He'd never be the one to suggest a spicy place just for me.

I should be happy about this.

But right now, all I felt was indifference.

I just assumed Melvin wasn't going to pick me up, so I called a cab.

Turns out, I was right again.

Melvin's office was right on the way to that restaurant.

From my ride-share, I happened to see Melvin standing by his car, smiling as he shielded Ellen's head so she could get into the passenger seat.

Something stirred inside me, and I unlocked my phone.