Chapter 2

Valerie and I had been together for almost ten years. But to everyone else, Grayson was the one who actually deserved her.

Five years ago, on Valerie's birthday, I'd had a custom ring made and tucked away, ready to propose. Grayson had shown up that day too.

The two of them started needling each other the moment they saw one another, starting with a round of truth-or-dare and moving on to drinking games. By that point, Valerie had eyes for no one but Grayson.

Then Grayson slapped the table and pulled up an official event page on his phone. Couples who signed up together could win a limited-edition in-game skin.

"Valerie, you up for it? Don't tell me you're chicken."

The whole room caught the mood, a chorus of teasing oohs rising up. The friend next to me nudged me with an elbow.

"Chris, you're not going to say anything? That's awfully generous of you."

Someone overheard and burst out laughing.

"Come on, there's no way Valerie would go for it. How long has she been with Chris? They're basically about to get married..."

Everyone assumed the same thing. So did I.

Then, a second later, Valerie slid her own phone across to Grayson.

"Fine, let's play."

The smile froze on my face. I grabbed Valerie's hand hard.

"Val, what do you mean by this?"

Only then did Valerie seem to remember I was right there. Her mouth opened, and a flicker of something like regret crossed her eyes.

Grayson just spread his hands and laughed.

"Relax, Chris. It's just a game, it'll unlink itself automatically after a week. Aren't you two supposed to be getting married? Can't you give her that much trust?"

Emboldened by Grayson's words, Valerie grew impatient too and shoved me off.

"It's my birthday. Don't ruin it."

That one line dropped me straight into an icy pit. Everyone in the room exchanged glances, and the mood plunged to freezing.

I fought to keep my voice from shaking.

"What game? Tell me. We're the actual couple here. I can..."

Valerie waved a hand, cutting me off.

"No, you can't. You don't even know how to play. All you ever do is sit there stiffly working on your design drafts."

My hand curled tighter in my pocket, the diamond ring cutting into my palm with a sharp sting.

"Do you really have to do this? You already have a boyfriend, and now you're playing girlfriend to someone else?"

The words were barely out before Valerie's face turned ugly.

"Chris, what is that supposed to mean?"

She smashed the cake I'd carefully prepared right into my face.

"You just don't want me to have a nice birthday, is that it? Fine, forget the whole thing!"

That day, Valerie and I parted on bad terms. I drank through the whole night, and in the end I still couldn't bring myself to call it off. Years of feelings weren't something I could just let go of on a whim.

Even my mother told me to let it go, said what young couple didn't have their little spats.

But that was how it went: from pretend couple to pretend spouses. Every year since, Valerie used that same excuse to spend Christmas at Grayson's parents' house.

This year marked the fifth year of their game.

Everything that happened over those five years wore down my love for Valerie, bit by bit. That ring never made it out of my pocket.

My phone screen lit up. A text had come in from my mother.

Mom: [Chris, you and Val have been together almost ten years now, haven't you? Will I still be around to see you two get married?]

Tears blurred my vision, falling one by one onto those two lines on the screen.

Me: [Mom, I will get married. Just not to her.]