Chapter 3

3.

It all brought back a flood of memories.

I had just moved back to the States from Europe, transferring to a top private prep school in Manhattan. As the new girl, I didn’t fit in. I even became a target for a few of the lacrosse jocks.

One day, they cornered me in a hallway. Just as I was shaking with fear, Noah Vance appeared like a superhero. He was the student council president and the football team captain. He stood in front of me, shielding me from all of it.

From that moment on, I was hopelessly in love with him. A chase that lasted ten years.

I remember one day, a rare storm swept through New York. I skipped class to bring Noah a batch of homemade brownies, only to not even get a glimpse of him.

I walked alone through Central Park in the downpour, completely soaked and miserable.

That’s when Julian, who had been following me, finally showed himself.

He was just as drenched as I was, but the expensive black umbrella in his hand was tilted entirely over me. He had followed me the whole way in silence.

Julian pulled me into a fierce hug. Over the sound of the rain, he yelled, “Chloe, I just want you to be okay! That asshole Noah isn’t worth it! I don’t care if you ever accept me, but I swear, I will never let anyone hurt you again!”

“Especially not Noah.”

After five long years of his gentle persistence, I finally let go of my old feelings. I gave up on Noah and said yes to Julian.

I was sure it wasn’t just gratitude. I was in love with him.

But now, it was clear that it was all a lie. The boy who made that vow in the rain was nothing but a damn good actor.

The conversation from the booth snapped me out of my memories.

“Julian, if that’s the plan, shouldn’t you be with your wife right now?” one of his buddies suggested. “She’s about to pop. If she gets suspicious, the game won’t be as fun.”

“Yeah, you should go back and keep playing the ‘perfect husband.’ Wait until after she has the baby to drop the bomb. The shock will be so much better.”

Julian swirled his drink and nodded with a laugh. “Good idea. I should definitely wait until she delivers that little bastard. The impact will be much greater.”

He pulled a wad of cash from his wallet and tossed it to the girl who made the suggestion. “Well said. This is for you.”

I fought the urge to storm in there and slap him. That would be letting him off too easy.

If you want to play a game, Julian, then I’ll play along.