Chapter 2

2.

Xander grit his teeth, clearly livid at my response.

"Leila, is this a joke? What do you gain by pissing me off?"

"Get it through your head. You're the one who can't survive without me. You're an orphan. Where are you even going to go if you leave me?"

I just smiled and didn't say a word.

Instead, I reached into my pocket for my own pack of cigarettes.

Xander saw my silence and assumed I was backing down. His voice softened slightly.

"Whatever. I'll act like that didn't happen. The engagement is still on. Now, can we just go home?"

My nose stung, and I felt tears threatening to fall.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to push the emotion down.

When I opened them again, everything was clear.

I lit the cigarette and took a long drag. As I blew the smoke out, the last bit of my sadness vanished with it.

Xander didn't notice the change. He reached over to grab the cigarette out of my hand.

"Weren't you the one nagging me to quit so we could start a family? What is this?"

"Give me that. Don't you want a baby anymore?"

I pulled away from him and blew a cloud of smoke right into his face.

"I don't want it."

"Xander, I don't want you, either."

I grew up in the foster care system.

Because I never had a real family, I was desperate for warmth and love.

When Xander first asked me out, I told him very clearly:

"I don't play games. If I'm in, I'm in for life. If you can't do that, don't bother me."

He was perfect at first. He did everything I asked.

On the day we officially became a couple, he made a solemn promise.

"Leila, we'll have a home. We'll be happy for the rest of our lives."

I fell for it completely.

For four years, we were the golden couple of our school―except when Yasmine was involved.

Even though she made me feel insecure, Xander always insisted they were just friends. I told myself their blurred boundaries were just because they grew up together.

The drama seemed to end when Yasmine got a boyfriend abroad.

With our engagement coming up, I thought I was finally getting my happy ending.

But Yasmine's breakup and sudden return shattered the illusion.

It made me realize that from day one, Xander had only ever loved her.

Xander glared at me with a dangerous look in his eyes.

He didn't seem to understand why my attitude had shifted so suddenly.

After a long silence, he finally tried to compromise.

"Tonight was my fault. I promise I'll take you on that graduation trip once things settle down. Can we stop fighting?"

He reached out to pinch my cheek, but I slapped his hand away and got out of the car.

While he was still stunned, I ripped the bracelet off and shoved it into his hand.

"Since this was clearly bought for Yasmine's wrist, it belongs to her. Go give it back."

"Leila, that's enough!"

Xander clutched the bracelet, ready for a standoff.

I didn't have the energy to argue anymore. I cut him off.

"I don't want to say anything meaner than that. You don't have to pretend to be the perfect boyfriend anymore. It's over."

I turned and walked in the opposite direction. Xander didn't follow. He just shouted after me.

"Leila! If you don't get back here right now, I'm done! Even if you come crawling back on your knees, I will never forgive you!"

The only answer he got was the whistling wind and the sound of my retreating footsteps.