Chapter 3

3

I still didn't say yes right away. I turned him down pretty hard because we were just too close―it felt weird.

But he didn't give up. He spent an entire year chasing me.

He was always there when I needed him. He'd show up with an umbrella on rainy days or bring me heating pads and snacks when I was on my period.

He was like a loyal puppy with big, clear eyes, always waiting for me. "Jade! Over here!"

I got used to him being the center of my world.

So, the next time he asked me to be his girlfriend, I finally said yes.

Thinking back, Miles really did have his moments. But now, apparently, we "aren't close."

I sat on the far end of the sofa, watching him gently unwrap a candy and feed it to Mia. The way he looked at her was hauntingly familiar.

"Ugh, you guys are so cute I might throw up!" Hannah joked.

"Mia, give me the tea. Who chased who? I need details!"

Mia blushed and looked down. "Oh, I don't know if I should say..."

Miles immediately got protective. "Hannah, stop being a busybody. Mia's shy, okay? Back off."

"Don't be mean to your sister, Miles," Mia said, playfully pinching his arm. He went quiet instantly.

I took a sip of my tea, feeling a wave of regret for staying. I didn't come here to watch a low-budget romance movie.

"Actually, Miles chased me for about six months," Mia started, her shy persona suddenly disappearing as she got into the details.

The more she talked, the more my stomach turned. It was the same story.

The cold medicine and roses in the winter, the umbrella in the rain, the mid-cycle care packages, the late-night rides home when she couldn't get an Uber.

He used the exact same moves on her.

He had tested them out on me, realized they worked, and then just copy-pasted the whole routine onto Mia.

Mia was still lost in her "romantic" memories.

"And the best part? He actually stood in line for hours to get me this designer bag. The one I brought today. It's so sweet that a guy would do that."

Mia practically purred as she snuggled back into Miles's chest.

I was speechless. He hadn't just cheated; he had bought us the exact same gift.

He was a lazy, unoriginal bastard.

"Oh, and he even got me front-row tickets to that huge concert for the singer J. He's so thoughtful."

The concert? Front row?

He had begged me to buy those tickets for his birthday because they were so expensive.

I couldn't even afford a second ticket for myself.

The truth was out. He had used me to get things to impress someone else.

My year of devotion wasn't just a mistake―it was a tragedy.

But as the pieces clicked together, the pain in my chest went numb. It was time to cut my losses.

I noticed Miles's face turning a sickly shade of green. He was terrified I'd expose him.

I smiled thinly and decided to speak my mind.

"You know, Mia, that bag isn't actually that hard to find. I have the same one. You can usually just find a personal shopper online if you pay a little extra. And concert tickets are just money. A man's heart is worth more than that."

Mia's eyes snapped to mine, filled with instant jealousy and spite.

I had a feeling she was the one who used Miles's phone to invite me tonight. She wasn't some innocent little flower.

Sure enough, she started her attack. "Hannah told me you're seeing someone too, Jade?"