Chapter 2

That night, I lay in bed tossing and turning, unable to sleep. I picked up my phone and started scrolling, then stumbled across a post on a local forum.

"SOS: I fell in love with my buddy's girlfriend, and I don't know what to do."

The poster's profile picture was a piano album cover. My heart lurched, and before I knew what I was doing, I'd clicked on it.

"I love my buddy like a brother. We grew up learning to play the piano together and even made plans to study abroad together someday.

"At one point, I almost gave up on playing the piano, but he was there every single day, pushing me to keep going. I gritted my teeth and stuck with it, and I ended up getting into my dream school. Then he got a girlfriend.

"At first, I was just jealous that she was taking up all the time that used to be mine."

My phone buzzed. A message from Cassidy popped up. "Come out. I'll celebrate your birthday, just the two of us."

I turned off the screen, planning to keep reading the post. But Cassidy fired off another barrage.

"All you ever do is throw tantrums! Don't think I can't tell. You're just jealous that Alec's doing better than you now.

"After you left, he beat himself up all night. He was a mess. He's your best friend, and you're making that my problem?"

Something twisted in my chest, and my vision blurred.

Back then, I'd graduated top of my class at the conservatory and earned the only spot for a year-long program overseas. But I couldn't bear the thought of being apart from Cassidy, and I couldn't stand seeing the disappointment in Alec's eyes.

I'd thought I already had everything I could want, Cassidy and Alec both. So, I gave my spot to Alec instead.

I wiped the corner of my eye and picked up my phone. "You're right. You two really are perfect for each other."

Then I blocked her.

Alec's post was still updating.

"Last year, my buddy gave up his chance to study abroad so I could go instead. What he doesn't know is that I actually envied him more. He had this girlfriend who adored him, and being alone in a foreign country was brutal.

"After I came back, my apartment flooded in the middle of the night one time, and I had no choice but to call his girlfriend for help. We crossed a line that night. And after that, we couldn't stop."

The last part of the post sounded almost conflicted.

"His girlfriend was planning to propose to him today, but he blew up out of nowhere and broke things off. Should I make my move now, or try to get them back together..."

The comments were merciless. People tore him apart.

"Let me get this straight. Your apartment floods in the middle of the night and you call your buddy's girlfriend?"

"You said you wouldn't be where you are without him, and then you go behind his back and sleep with his girl?"

"The audacity is genuinely breathtaking."

Scattered memories suddenly clicked into place. The last time I'd seen them, Cassidy had been wearing a blue-gray headband, and Alec had shown up in a sweater the exact same shade.

I'd even joked about it. "You two are way too in sync. Looks like a couples' outfit."

Neither of them had denied it. They'd just shared a knowing smile.

Not long after that, Cassidy had given me a limited-edition designer keychain as a gift. A few weeks later, I went over to Alec's place and spotted the full collector's box set sitting on his desk.

It all made sense now. I grabbed my phone and looked it up. Sure enough, the keychain I'd gotten was just the freebie that came with the set.

My girlfriend and my best friend had been going behind my back for a long time.

I lay in bed staring at the ceiling with a weight on my chest that wouldn't let up. I didn't sleep at all that night.

The moment the sun came up, I hauled myself out of bed and tore through every drawer and closet in the apartment, pulling out everything connected to Cassidy and Alec. It took me until sundown to get it all packed up, and I hauled every last box down to the dumpster.

I'd barely caught my breath when my phone buzzed. It was a text from an old classmate.

"Rhett, what the hell is going on with you three? Cassidy and Alec just went official on social media."