Chapter 2
I was watching the guy every girl at school had a crush on, and he was actually making me dinner.
I felt a secret thrill of pride.
I couldn't help wishing he'd always be the one cooking just for me.
The next day, word got out that he and Ruby were together.
He walked through the crowd, holding her hand, not caring about all the stares.
Just the memory of their hands together stung.
That was something I'd never had with him.
Oliver made my favorite dish, but the moment I took a bite, I felt a wave of nausea and almost gagged.
Oliver frowned a little. "Evelyn, did you get your period this month?"
"Yeah," I replied.
I answered without even thinking.
Seeing his frown ease, I couldn't help but ask, "Would you ever marry someone just because of a baby?"
Oliver gave a faint, almost careless smile. "No."
He ruffled my hair, his tone teasing. "Don't get any funny ideas, Evelyn. A kid can't keep a man around."
My hand was trembling and I ended up spilling half the soup.
Oliver took the spoon from me and served me a bowl. "Why did you say we should break up?"
I lowered my head, trying to hide my red eyes as I sipped the soup. "I regret it.
"Now that Ruby's back, our whole thing was always under wraps anyway; no one will ever know."
When I brought up Ruby, his eyes clouded over.
"Let's call it quits, Oli," I said.
I hadn't called him by that in years, not since I realized I was in love with him.
The first time he heard me call him Oliver, he just stared at me for a long moment before flicking me on the forehead.
"Getting bold, huh? Call me 'Oli'," he teased.
His lips curled into a lazy, easy smile, and my heart skipped a beat.
I rubbed my forehead. It didn't hurt, but it tingled a little.
"Do you regret being with me?" he asked.
I nodded, unable to meet his eyes.
Oliver let out a long breath. "Fine."
He stood up, grabbed his jacket, then turned back with a half-smile. "Evelyn, don't go tossing around breakups like threats."
As the door clicked shut, my tears fell into the soup.
I really did regret it. I never should've started dating him.
If I hadn't gotten involved with him, I could've just stayed his childhood friend, the girl next door he always looked after.
When I got sick, he'd ditch his friends and take me to the doctor himself.
Whenever he went out, he'd wait in long lines just to get me those limited-edition gifts I loved.
And once we both had our own families, we'd probably drift apart, only seeing each other at holidays.
We'd talk about silly things from when we were kids and just have a good laugh together.
Instead of now, where we're holding onto a secret relationship, and no matter how awkward it gets, we still have to put on a friendly face.
Could I really just stand by and watch him marry someone else and start a family?
I really didn't think I could.
Just thinking about it hurt so much I could barely breathe.
I got a new email; my application had been approved.
Five years was enough for me.
After that day, Oliver and I never saw each other again, and we never spoke.
Oliver was never the comforting type; girls were always the ones orbiting around him.
He poured all his fiery love into that first love everyone knew about.
All that was left was just cool distance and reason.
Sometimes, when I was scrolling, I'd come across Ruby's posts: [Things have changed, but I'm glad you're still around.]
In every photo, there was always a hint of someone else, like a sleeve or an arm peeking into the shot.
I stopped scrolling through my feed and threw myself into work, wrapping up projects and getting everything ready for my transfer.
One day, Ruby started a group chat, saying she wanted to get everyone together for a reunion.
Everyone in the group started tagging Oliver and sending those happiness wedding emojis.
My bestie Lily Simon jumped in too, and not wanting to look like the odd one out, I sent one as well.
Oliver, who hadn't said a word until now, immediately dropped a question mark in the chat.
Lily slid into my DMs: [Oliver's totally pretending. I bet he's secretly thrilled. Come on, let's go see the exes reunite in person, should be a show.]
When we got to the restaurant, Oliver was standing right next to Ruby, welcoming everyone in and helping them settle in.
One of our classmates brought her little girl, and as soon as the kid spotted Oliver, she dashed right into his arms.
He scooped the child up with one arm and wrapped his other arm around Ruby, keeping her from getting bumped by a passerby.
The three of them looked so much like a real family that even people walking by couldn't help but stare.
Lily tugged at my sleeve and whispered, "They really look like they belong together."
I dropped my eyes and managed a smile, trying to act like it didn't sting.
Honestly, everyone always thought they were made for each other.
On the school's online forum, Oliver and Ruby were always the couple everyone shipped the most.
At the dinner table, Oliver was patiently feeding the little girl.
"Oliver, you're totally dad material. Seriously, just stop playing around, get back with Ruby, and have a kid already," someone teased.
Everyone turned to look at Ruby, and her cheeks turned bright red under all the attention.
But a dull ache started in my lower belly. I made up an excuse and practically bolted out of there.