Chapter 2

The next day, I switched on my phone.

In my chat with Zach, the message sat alone at the bottom without a reply. Like every message I had sent over the past four years, it had vanished without a trace.

I stared at the screen and laughed. Not even a breakup was worth an answer.

Just as I was about to lock my phone, a class group message popped up.

It was the roster for the school basketball exhibition game, and I spotted Zach's name immediately. Amy's name was beside his.

My roommate leaned over, took one look, and clicked her tongue. "Those two are Easton College's famous grad-school prep couple. They spend every day in the library. Even the professors say they look good together."

She pulled up a screenshot from Amy's Facebook feed. "Look at them. They look so good together. One ranks first, the other second, and they even get their certificates in pairs."

I pushed down the ache in my heart and nodded along, but my nails dug into my palm.

From that day on, I avoided the library, the sports field, and every route where I might run into him. But I walked straight into him outside the advisor's office,

Zach looked thinner. His shirt sleeves were rolled to his forearms, and he was holding a stack of documents. When he saw me, he stopped, then smiled. "Megan? Long time no see. Want to get dinner together?"

I wanted to shake my head, but breaking up was not a small thing. We should at least talk about it in person. So, I nodded.

As soon as I agreed, Amy stepped up next to Zach's side as if it were the most natural thing in the world and smiled at me. "Megan is here too? Perfect. Let's all go."

She tilted her head toward Zach. "Have you picked a place?"

Zach shook his head, and Amy turned to me at once. "Then Megan can choose. We hardly ever get together."

I casually suggested a restaurant by the school gate that was known for its spicy food.

Amy gave a soft "oh" and said, "His stomach hasn't been doing well lately. The doctor said he can't eat spicy food. You didn't know, Megan?"

I pressed my lips together and changed it to a diner that served something lighter.

Amy shook her head again. "That place is too greasy. He had acid reflux in the middle of the night after eating there last time."

She paused, her tone laced with a helpless smile. "How do you not even know what he can't eat, Megan?"

I suggested four or five different places, but every time I named one, Amy found a reason to reject it for Zach. Too far, too noisy, not clean enough, too long a wait.

In the end, she pressed her lips together, as if she were making a sacrifice. "Forget it. I'll choose. Neither of you is reliable."

Zach lowered his head and smiled, his voice gentle. "Thanks for that."

Amy rolled her eyes at him and half-jokingly complained, "I'm the go-between for you two, so I deserve credit for this meal. You'd better thank me properly later."

They bantered back and forth while I stood off to the side, watching Zach smile at Amy.

My chest felt tight, and I could hardly breathe.

I had thought the only distance between us was the distance between our colleges in the last four years. Now, we were so far apart that I could not even step into his life anymore.

The words "we should break up" were stuck in my throat. Suddenly, I felt it was pointless whether I said it out loud or not.

When it was time to order, Amy took the menu. She pointed at the Southwestern Shrimp Omelet and said Zach was cutting weight, so he needed less oil. Then, she pointed at the garden salad and said his stomach was weak, so he had to eat light. She also ordered another cream of chicken soup and smiled at Zach. "You said the soup here was good last time. I remembered."

Zach nodded and added without thinking, "Do you want to add the paprika pork ribs you like?"

They were talking back and forth while I sat across from them like a stranger at their table.

Amy finally pushed the menu toward me. "Megan, you should order something you like too."

Just as I was about to speak, Zach cut in. "She doesn't really eat spicy food. Get her..."

He stopped. His finger hovered over the menu, and his brows furrowed. A moment later, he chose two dishes and muttered, "This and this."

I looked down at them.

Caesar salad and stuffed portobello mushrooms.

I felt a lump rise in my throat.

Those were dishes I would never touch. I was allergic to portobello mushrooms, and lettuce made me break out in a rash.

He had forgotten all of it.

Amy slapped the back of Zach's head, teasing him. "Have you been studying too much? Those are the things I like!"

Zach froze, then avoided my eyes and pushed the menu toward me. "Order whatever you want."

I shook my head and stood up. "It's fine. I have something on tonight, so I'm going first."

I picked up my bag, paused, and said to him with my head lowered, "Look at my messages when you have time."

He gave an indifferent "yeah" and continued, "Amy filters them for me. If it's important, she'll remind me to reply."

I smiled, and the smile I made was so stiff it hurt. So, I was not even significant enough to be considered important.

Then, there was no need to wait for a reply.

I turned and pushed open the restaurant door. The night breeze blew in, cool in exactly the right way.