Chapter 2

I originally thought we’d part ways peacefully, going our separate directions and never crossing paths again. Who knew James would refuse to accept the breakup?

"Are you out of your mind? I’ve said it a hundred times. Break up, break up, break up! Why do you keep showing up outside my lecture hall every day?!"

“And you know what’s worse?” I pointed at Mia, utterly baffled. “Why the heck are you bringing your so-called best friend with you? What? You can’t think for yourself anymore? You need her to make all your decisions?”

The words came out in one angry breath without a pause, which said a lot about how furious I was.

James scratched his head, putting on his usual innocent guy act.

“I… I thought that since you’re both girls, she’d understand your emotions better and could…”

From behind him, Mia chimed in, “Yeah, Ames, don’t misunderstand James—”

“Ames, my foot!”

At the time, I was in the middle of PE class. In a fit of rage, I hurled the basketball in my hands directly at James.

Fate is a funny thing. Sometimes, it’s beautiful; other times, it’s downright cursed.

When my parents dragged me along to apologize to James, it turned out our families knew each other.

“Oh, look who it is! Little Amy! You’ve grown so much! I remember holding you when you were just a tiny bundle of joy. Do you remember me? Joe?”

My dad and James’s dad, Joe Jonas, were best friends back in college. If Joe’s family hadn’t moved overseas to start their business, we might’ve had some kind of childhood betrothal.

However, there was something odd about the way my mom looked at Joe. She stayed behind my dad, unusually quiet.

My clueless dad didn’t notice a thing, of course.

After some small talk, our families soon knew all about my relationship with James.

“Amy, our boy here is terrible at expressing himself. If he’s done anything to upset you, feel free to teach him a lesson.”

He gave James a flick of his bandaged head. “Let him learn his lesson. But—”

Then his tone shifted.

“Don’t let someone who doesn’t matter ruin something that could be special, okay?”

Standing there in the hospital room that reeked of disinfectant, I glared at James, who was giving me that same stupid grin he always had.

Was I blind? What on earth did I ever see in him?

Also, he looked so much like his dad!

I glanced over at Joe again. Dashing, polite, the picture of sophistication. Except for his eyes—

They were watching my mom like a snake sizing up its prey.

That night, I went to check on my mom.

She was sitting in the massive master bedroom, staring silently out at the moon, tears streaming down her face.

“Mom, what’s wrong? You barely said a word at dinner. It’s not like you.”

With my dad out attending yet another business event, it was just the two of us in the house.

“I’m fine,” she said, quickly wiping her tears away and forcing a smile. “I was just remembering some sad things from the past. Don’t worry about me. You should get to bed. You have an early class tomorrow, right?”

I took her hand gently. “Mom, I saw everything today. Joe—”

The moment I said his name, she flinched.

“Don’t… don’t say anything more!”

Later that night, after she finally fell asleep, I quietly left her room.