Chapter 2

I looked at Emily Brooks, my eyes lingering on the gift box in her hand.

Emily turned her head slightly, instinctively hiding the gift box behind her back.

Alex poked his head out of the private room. "Emily, you're five minutes late. I'm going to have to punish you!"

Emily stepped forward and handed him the gift box. "I got held up on the way. I brought you a present."

She turned slightly, her eyes troubled. "Ethan, I'll explain later."

I stood there, frozen.

An hour ago, she said she was going to visit some friends with her parents and wouldn't be able to reply to my messages tonight. But she never mentioned that those "friends" were actually my real dad.

I never imagined that the childhood friend I used to share a plate of soup with would be so close to Alex, like the rest of us didn't even exist.

The smile faded from Alex's lips. He turned to me. "Ethan, so you're Ethan Foster?"

Before I could say a word, he turned back and called out, "Dad, guess what? Ethan snuck in to see you."

Everyone turned to look at me.

I gently gripped the hem of my shirt and looked over at David.

The smile on his face froze before he could hide it. "Oh, it's you."

He cleared his throat awkwardly. "You've grown so tall. I didn't even recognize you."

I let go of my shirt and said softly, "I didn't come here to spy on you."

He paused, then stood up and walked over. "So, why are you here?"

"I'm working to make some money."

David looked me up and down. "Why are you dressed like that? Are you trying to make me look bad?"

He lowered his voice. "I'm throwing a party for Alex's exam results tonight, so I don't have time for this. Go find your mom. She's next door."

With that, he knocked on the door to the next private room. "Susan, your son's here for you."

"What son? I only have a daughter," Susan said, her eyes landing on me.

She froze for a few seconds, then gave a nervous laugh. "Why did you come?"

She took a couple of steps toward the door, lowering her voice. "We're celebrating your sister's birthday today. With all these guests around, it's really not a good time. If you need anything, we can talk tomorrow."

She glanced at David. "It's really not a good time for me. You're his father. He's probably here to see you."

David scoffed. "I've got my own stuff going on. He's your kid. You should deal with him."

The air between them was starting to heat up.

David's voice was sharp. "You gave birth to him, so why are you handing him off to me?"

Susan's forehead veins were throbbing. "It's not like I had him all by myself. Why am I the one who has to deal with him?"

Once again, I was a pawn caught between them, tossed back and forth.

It had always been like this, even when I was a kid. They'd fight over who had to cook for me, or who should cover my tuition.

Later, when we ended up in court, the judge asked me who I wanted to live with.

David was quick to say he couldn't afford to raise me.

Susan said it was hard for her to take care of me on her own.

They argued until their faces turned red, like I was some unwanted reject nobody wanted to claim.

Years went by, but I was still the baggage they were desperate to toss aside.

I took a deep breath, cutting them off. "Don't bother about me. I wasn't even here for you."

The air was chilly. Suddenly, Alex grinned. "Dad, let him join us. It's one more chair. No need to make a scene in the hallway and let people gossip about us."

David's stiff expression relaxed right away. "Alex is always so sensible."

He shot me a brief look. "Come in."

One of the guests nudged me inside, and I got dragged to a corner seat.

Alex's mom asked politely, "Ethan, is there anything you like to eat? Should I have the waiter bring a couple more dishes?"

David didn't even look up. "He's not picky. Anything's fine. But there aren't many shrimp left, and Alex loves them. Let's get another plate."

I took a big gulp of cold water, trying to swallow the awkwardness stuck in my throat.

Just then, one of David's friends patted me on the shoulder. "Kid, why aren't you saying hi to everyone?"

I instinctively looked at David, feeling completely speechless.

After my grandpa passed away, that New Year's Eve, I hesitated before calling David.

When he picked up, the TV programs were blaring, and outside, fireworks were bursting one after another, each louder than the last.

I took a breath of the cold, empty air and called out, my voice trembling, "Dad."

Alex burst out laughing. "There's no 'Dad' here for you, so don't go around calling people that. Didn't your mom ever get you a dad? Or are you here trying to snatch mine?"

David's voice came through, muffled. "Who's calling on New Year's? Seriously, what a pain."

I hung up, feeling awkward and embarrassed. That was when it hit me. The word "Dad" had stopped belonging to me a long time ago.

"Whatever, don't call me then," David said, his face darkening. "He's like his mom, quirky and not easy to get along with."

Alex snuggled up to his dad's shoulder, grinning. "Dad, I must take after you. Otherwise, how could I be this good-looking?"

David tapped his nose dotingly. "That's fate. You were always meant to be my son."

It felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room, and suddenly my chest tightened. I could barely breathe.

Everyone raised their glasses to celebrate.

David grinned at Emily. "Emily, since you and Alex both got into Northbridge, I'm trusting you to keep an eye on him from now on."

Emily smiled brightly. "Of course, David. I'll make sure Alex is well taken care of."

I couldn't help but laugh at how absurd it was. Yesterday, when we were picking colleges, she promised we'd head to Harbislle together. One day later, and that promise was already out the window.