Chapter 1

Sophie's POV

"Sophie, I'll help you put your man in his place. Maybe then he'll stop picking on you all the time!" said my best friend, Juniper Young.

"I'm not scared of you," my boyfriend, Flynn Sadler, fired back.

I took a few steps toward them and opened my mouth several times, but I couldn't get a word in edgewise. I pressed my lips together and quietly watched as they chased each other around for a while.

Turning away, I tossed the now cold omelet rolls into a trash can. When I looked back, they had already disappeared into the beverage shop around the corner.

Not once did it occur to either of them to call for me before they left.

The night market buzzed with laughter and conversation. Everyone had someone to share the excitement with, while I was the only one left behind.

The notification chime on my phone finally snapped me out of my daze. I opened the group chat and saw someone had tagged me.

Flynn: "When you come over later, bring Juniper a pack of heating pads. She's on her period and keeps complaining that her stomach hurts. I don't want her ruining our alone time later."

Flynn: "Oh, and you can just throw those omelet rolls away. They're cold by now anyway, and Juniper won't be able to eat them."

I stared at the messages for a long time before taking a deep breath and replying, "I'm not coming to meet you guys. I just submitted my application to study abroad. It was approved."

Flynn: "Yeah, yeah."

Sophie: "My flight's next week."

Flynn: "Yeah, I got it."

Sophie: "Well…"

Flynn: "Understood!"

I froze. Only then did I realize Flynn hadn't read a single one of my messages. Before I could compose myself, dozens of photos flooded the group chat, burying everything I had sent.

Every single one of them was Juniper, captured through Flynn's lens.

He used to chase after Juniper with a camera, carefully searching for the perfect angle as he teased her. "You're the problem, dude. Unlike Sophie, she's naturally gorgeous and looks good no matter how I capture her."

Then he would casually snap a picture of me before hurrying after her again, camera in hand.

The last message in the group chat was a video. The footage shook wildly, obviously recorded by accident while they were wrestling over the phone.

Juniper sounded triumphant. "I'm ordering for Sophie! She's my best friend, so I get to decide what she drinks!"

Flynn immediately shot back. "Not a chance. Stay out of it. Sophie's my girl. She only drinks what I order for her."

If it had been the old me, I would've rushed over without a second thought, genuinely believing they were fighting over me.

Now, all I could see was him arguing at the top of his lungs while quietly shielding her head with one hand, afraid she would get hurt in the struggle.

A sharp pang hit my chest, and tears blurred my vision.

I was just trying to flag down a cab when Mom called. Her gentle voice came through the speaker. "Sweetheart, did you have fun with Flynn and Juniper today?"

The tears I had been holding back spilled over. The hurt crashed over me all at once, and I choked on my words. "Mom, I don't want to hang out with them anymore. I won't chase after them any longer…"

Before I could finish, my phone let out a low-battery warning. The screen then went black.

I stood there frozen, still holding the dead phone in my hand, tears clinging foolishly to my lashes.

Only then did I remember that on the way here, Flynn had casually taken the portable charger I had just rented from me and handed it to Juniper.

He had pinched my cheek, his voice full of affection. "I love this nerdy look. You're so adorable. It's killing me. Anyway, let Juniper have the last portable charger. She's way too restless. She can't go a minute without her phone."

"Who are you calling restless?" Juniper snapped. "Hey, why are you running off without waiting for Sophie?"

"Relax. She'll catch up once she follows the smell of the food…"

I closed my eyes and shook my head hard, trying to force the memories away. I staggered to my feet and raised my hand to hail another cab so I could get out of this place as soon as possible.