Chapter 2
Back then, James always tried to guess what I wanted and made it happen before I noticed.
He insisted on walking me to lessons whenever I had to go alone. He always worried about my safety.
But now, his mind was elsewhere. He agreed immediately with no second thought.
"Alright. Stay careful," he said.
I watched him run off, knowing he was going to find Emily.
But it didn't matter.
From now on, our paths would never cross again.
I walked home alone.
No birthday joy remained. Only the cold loneliness of uncovered truth stayed with me.
As I passed the coffee shop, the owner called out to me without thinking. "Grace. It's been ages since your last visit. When you helped Emily here, our shop had its best sales ever. You're so pretty. Many customers asked for your contact information."
I paused and recalled that period.
Emily's family wasn't well-off, so she worked part-time at the coffee shop on weekends.
She stayed busy the entire shift. She packed orders, brewed coffee, and barely had time for a sip of water.
I could not stand by while she struggled, so I made a special trip to help.
But when James found out, he gave me a cold look and told me to go home.
"You sweated through this unbearable heat and skipped your riding lessons to help her with a job that pays next to nothing? Is it worth the effort? Go home. Do not let that girl disrupt your quality of life," he snapped, his tone sharp with disapproval.
As I snapped back to reality and was about to explain, the owner suddenly spoke up. "That young man comes by all the time to help her.
"He brings her lunch at times. The meals include a hearty spread of dishes and a soup, so she never goes hungry.
"Are they dating or something?"
His last question left me stunned into silence.
It turned out James's cold attitude was an act. He put on a show only for my benefit.
All the days I was absent, he stayed by her side.
And here I had felt guilty and showered Emily with all kinds of expensive gifts to make up for it.
I gave her high-end hand cream and designer shoes worth over a thousand dollars.
I hoped these items would make her work shifts more comfortable.
It turned out I had only fooled myself.
I was quiet for a long moment before finally answering, my voice barely above a whisper. "Maybe."
When I arrived home exhausted, my phone buzzed with a text from Emily.
[I spent all day caring for my mom and forgot to wish you a happy birthday.]
[I'll give you your present when we're back at school tomorrow.]
She added a little cat peeking out emoji at the end.
I suddenly remembered James's usual straightforward style. He never used emojis and rarely added extra punctuation. Yet one day, he had sent me the same cat peeking emoji.
Looking back, the clues had been there from the very beginning.
[Okay.] I replied.
After sending the message, I slumped onto the couch and let out a heavy sigh.
My chest felt heavy and stuffed, as if packed with cotton.
The next morning, as my mom dropped me off at the school gate, she asked offhandedly. "Are you certain about attending Wycliffe University? Weren't you and James planning to attend college here together?"
I paused for a moment, then managed a bitter smile. "Yeah, I'm sure. Mom, can you help me handle the admission paperwork?"
Right as I said goodbye to my mom, James walked up to me.
He glanced between us, a knowing smile tugging at his lips. "Were you two talking about college applications?" The smile faded. "My mom has been pestering me about the same thing. She says I must attend the same college as you."
I didn't say anything, but then I heard him ask with a half-smile. He said, "Aren't you and Emily always glued to each other? You two are inseparable, are you not?
"Why not follow her lead and change your application to Bayview College?
"That way, you two can keep your BFF status going."
Bayview College was a nothing-special kind of school.
It was the sort of place I'd only get into if I flunked a subject.
He was ready to sacrifice both our futures, all for Emily.
I pretended not to notice his hidden motive and smiled as I replied. "Sure. That way, the three of us can hang out together again."
James tried to hide how happy he was, but he couldn't stop himself from grinning.
He let out a heavy sigh and acted as if he had no other choice. He said, "Alright, I suppose I will go along with your plan."