Chapter 1

I had been in a secret relationship with Miles Sterling, my best friend's younger brother, for a whole year.

He claimed he was too shy to go public, so we agreed to wait a year before telling his sister the truth.

On our first anniversary, Miles sent me a text: "Come over for dinner tonight. I want to make our relationship official."

I showed up at the Sterling house full of hope, only to find a fragile-looking girl sitting right next to him.

She was the girlfriend Miles was planning to reveal to the world.

I took a deep breath, forced a smile, and greeted them. "Hey there, little brother. And hello to your new girlfriend."

Suddenly, he looked like he was about to have a panic attack.

1

On our anniversary, Miles sent me a message: "Come over for dinner tonight. I want to make our relationship official."

I clutched my phone, feeling a mix of pure joy and intense relief. Finally, I didn't have to hide the truth from my best friend anymore.

Miles is my best friend's little brother, and we had been dating in the shadows for a year.

When we first started seeing each other, he was always so insecure, worried I'd dump him. We made a pact to wait a year until we were stable before telling his sister, Hannah.

Now, he was finally keeping his promise.

I called him immediately, but the line just rang and rang. It took three tries before he finally picked up.

"Hey, what's up?" Miles's voice was completely flat, almost cold.

"I just wanted to ask, what should I wear tonight? Is it a fancy vibe or something more casual?"

I figured his parents might be there. If it was a formal dinner, I needed to pick out a dress and a decent gift.

"Whatever, it doesn't matter. Look, I'm busy right now, so I have to go. Let's talk later."

He sounded totally distracted, like I was an annoyance.

Before I could say another word, he hung up on me.

I stared at the screen, confused. He was the one who invited me over to go public, so why did he act like he didn't care?

Maybe he was actually slammed at work?

Before I could overthink it, my best friend Hannah started blowing up my phone with texts.

"OMG! Major news! My brother is bringing home the mysterious girl he's been hiding for a year! Dinner tonight!"

"It's a full reveal. You have to be there to help me grill her!"

I could practically see Hannah's excited, gossiping face. I hesitated for a second before typing back.

"Actually, I was planning on introducing you to my boyfriend today, too."

Hannah replied with a string of exclamation points.

"!!! Is today National Couples Day or something? Bring him along! My parents are out of town anyway."

"It's a plan. Don't you dare flake!"

I agreed, of course. Since the Sterling parents weren't home, I didn't go overboard. I did my makeup, threw on a cute outfit, and caught an Uber.

Standing in front of their door, I felt a strange wave of anxiety. I shook it off, assuming I was just nervous about Hannah being mad that I'd kept the secret so long.

I knocked, and Hannah swung the door open instantly, giving me a playful, knowing wink.

I thought Miles had already told her everything, so I blushed and handed her the fruit basket I brought. She took it to the kitchen.

As I turned to put my bag on the rack, I froze.

There was a purse sitting on the shelf that was identical to the one I was carrying.

It definitely wasn't Hannah's. She usually went for a cool, edgy look, not this kind of elegant, expensive style.

On the shoe rack, there was a pair of white heels that matched the bag perfectly. They were tucked neatly right next to Miles's sneakers.

A cold realization started to sink in, but I didn't want to believe it yet.

Then, I heard a loud crash!

Miles was standing there with a bowl of fruit, staring at me like he'd seen a ghost. The bowl had shattered on the floor.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

He looked horrified, panicked, and maybe even a little guilty.

"Believe it or not, you're the one who invited me," I said, my voice feeling thick and bitter.

Miles's expression shifted between fear and anger. He turned toward the living room and shouted.

"Hannah! Mia! I dropped a bowl. There's glass everywhere, so don't come over here!"

Then, he grabbed my arm and shoved me toward the door.

"When did you find out? Did you show up today just to humiliate me?"

I looked at him―this man trying to look tough while his hands shook. I suddenly wanted to laugh.

I laughed until tears nearly stung my eyes.

I had known the Sterling siblings for over a decade. We grew up together.

I knew his embarrassing childhood stories and all his favorite things. I thought I knew everything about him.

But it turns out, I didn't know him at all.