Chapter 5

I deleted every single photo, message, and memory of Vera from my phone and cloud storage. Then I packed everything she had ever given me over the years into a massive cardboard box and had it delivered to her apartment.

From here on out, I wouldn't spend another second caring about anything that had to do with her.

This was the end.

Unfortunately, Danny and I still shared a dorm. He was constantly bringing her up in passing—gushing about how clingy she was, and how incredible she was at making him feel loved.

Vera was an exceptional girlfriend when she wanted to be. When she set her mind to it, she could wrap any guy around her finger with that soft, teasing voice of hers.

Only I was no longer on the receiving end of it.

On Valentine's Day, Danny insisted on taking the whole dorm out for dinner.

It was an unwritten rule among us—whenever someone started seeing a girl, he had to bring her out to meet the guys.

Yet, Vera had never once met them as my girlfriend.

I tried to excuse myself from joining, claiming I had a headache. But Danny wouldn't take no for an answer. "Come on, man, it's just a quick meal. Yves, you gotta come."

So I was dragged along to a high-end restaurant against my will.

Throughout the entire dinner, Vera didn't spare me a single glance. She was entirely focused on catering to Danny's every need.

Amid the playful cheering of my roommates, she shared an intimate toast with Danny and fed him cake straight from her mouth. When a dab of cream lingered at the corner of his mouth, she leaned in and gently licked it away.

I kept my head down, silently cutting into the steak on my plate.

Out of the corner of my eye, though, I caught Vera's expression growing darker by the minute. She was probably realizing that I remained completely unfazed, and it was taking the fun out of her little performance.

After dinner, my roommates—who all had their girlfriends with them—had other plans for the night.

That left me standing completely alone outside the bustling restaurant entrance.

After a moment's hesitation, Vera walked over, looking somewhat uncomfortable. "Do you… want a ride home?"

She probably assumed I was still the same desperate idiot. No matter how hurt I was, the second she threw me a bone, I'd fall right back into the line.

Before I could answer, Danny wrapped an arm possessively around her waist. "Vera, I think I drank a little too much. My head's spinning. Come lie down with me for a bit."

I let out a faint, bitter smile. "I'm good. Someone's coming to pick me up."

Vera's face turned frosty when she heard that. "Suit yourself."

Without another word, she hooked her arm through Danny's, walked over to her sports car idling by the curb, and sped off into the night.

I stood rooted to the spot as the biting wind whipped against my face, making my head throb.

Not feeling like taking a cab home, I started walking aimlessly down the sidewalk toward campus.

Just as I reached the school gates, an electric scooter riding on the wrong side of the road suddenly shot out from the dark, clipping me hard and knocking me to the pavement.

The rider cursed at me, gunned the throttle, and vanished into the night.

An agonizing pain shot up through my leg. Purely on instinct, my thumb pressed a speed-dial button on my phone.

It rang four times.

On the fifth ring, the call was disconnected. The flat busy signal echoed in my ear as I froze on the deserted street.

Only then did it hit me—the number I had just dialed belonged to Vera.

The woman who used to answer on the first ring and rush to my side no matter how late it was was never coming back.

Expressionless, I didn't try calling a second time.

Forcing myself off the ground, I dialed 911.

…

After cleaning my wounds, the doctor put me on an IV and gave me a tetanus shot.

I lay in the quiet hospital room, staring blankly at the dripping IV bag overhead.

Suddenly, the door swung open.

A figure stood framed in the doorway, silhouetted against the bright hallway light like an angel descending from above.

My breath hitched the second I realized who it was.

I stared in utter disbelief as she walked into the room, coming to a stop right beside my bed.

"Yves, I thought you were supposed to be tough. How'd you manage to get yourself into such a pathetic state?"