Chapter 2

2

I had always known about Caleb's little protégé.

In his words, she was just one of the guys―loud, athletic, and could hold her liquor.

"With a personality like hers, she'll probably never find a husband," he'd joke.

His constant mocking of her made me lower my guard.

I treated Nina like a normal friend, or at most, a sister-figure.

I believed him when he said a man could have female friends.

But I was dead wrong.

Our first meeting was after she finished her master's program overseas.

Caleb dropped everything to throw her a massive welcome-home party.

I prepared a gift, too.

But it was nothing compared to the surprise they had for each other.

The party was filled with intimate photos of the two of them.

It was so bad that the restaurant manager thought they were the couple being celebrated.

Later that night, she kept calling him her brother while hanging all over him.

She knew all his favorite things and accompanied him to do all the crazy stuff on his bucket list.

Caleb was actually proud of it.

"You have no idea. She's a girl, but she's such a tomboy. She likes all the stuff guys like."

"You can relax now. With her watching over me, I wouldn't dare do anything behind your back."

Every time he said that, Nina would shyly punch his chest.

"I wish I could be like Lyra, obsessed with nails and makeup, but I'm just not built that way."

"You guys know I don't even own a full makeup kit."

She constantly insulted me under her breath for needing time to get ready or needing an umbrella in the sun.

In Caleb's ears, that translated to me showing off in front of her.

So, Caleb eventually told me I wasn't allowed to wear makeup around them.

Even when my job required me to be on camera, he didn't care.

To him, Nina's feelings were ten thousand times more important than mine.

"Caleb, stop it. Lyra, don't be mad. Today is your big day. Let's talk about this at home."

"Yeah, let's just get the license first," the guys tried to push us toward the counter.

I grabbed my bag and my ID and walked straight toward the exit.

Suddenly, a hand gripped my wrist tightly.

"Lyra Vance, there are people watching. Haven't you had enough of this tantrum?"

"Do you really want to drive Nina to the edge before you're satisfied?"

I wrenched my hand away and looked at the two of them glued together.

"Not at all. I'm just making room for your precious little schoolmate."

"I hope you two have a very happy life together."

I ignored his darkening face and walked out of the building.

Behind me, Nina's voice rose in a loud wail.

"Caleb, she never liked me. I shouldn't have come. Go after her, don't ruin your life because of me."

"There's nothing to ruin. If she doesn't want to get married, fine."

Caleb's voice softened as he rubbed her back.

"Didn't you say you wanted to visit the old campus? I'm free now. I'll take you."

He never prioritized my needs.

But he always remembered every word she said.

Even today's wedding appointment was something I had to beg for.

And yet, here we were.

I wiped my tears away in the cold wind.

I realized I had become so used to swallowing my pride over the years.

This ending was inevitable.

He never even tried to hide his favoritism.

He always said, "Nina is just a friend, she's family."

"How could I ever be into a tomboy like her? Stop overthinking. You're my wife."

He acted so innocent while calling me crazy and paranoid.

But every single time, the outcome was this laughable.

That night, I was packing my bags.

Caleb posted a new update on his social media.

In the dim lights of the old campus, the two of them were staring into each other's eyes.

The people around them were cheering and whistling.

"Caleb, Nina is the one who truly gets you. She might act like a guy, but she treats you better than Lyra ever did."

Nina blushed, and Caleb let out a low, confirming hum.

The video ended. I felt my heart beating steadily.

I realized that once you go numb, the pain disappears.

And the love goes right along with it.