Chapter 4

It was still raining outside.

I wandered aimlessly down the street, thinking about the year we had applied to college.

Blake and Maeve had both chosen Bexford University. They told me to apply to one of the less competitive programs there too so we wouldn't have to be apart.

I went home and spent the entire night debating it. In the end, I changed my application and chose a top university in Southbury instead.

Needless to say, Blake was furious when he found out.

"Noelle, I just want to be with you," he said, trying to convince me to change it back. "I don't care about your qualifications."

But it mattered to me. I wanted to close the gap between us, even if it was only by a little.

Because of that, we ended up not speaking for a month before finally making up.

Even in college, Blake was still as exceptional as ever. For four years, his social media was filled with photos of him and Maeve traveling abroad for competitions. Whenever they came home during breaks, they'd talk about things I couldn't understand, leaving me with nothing to contribute.

Women were constantly throwing themselves at him. Maeve would always tell me how another freshman had confessed to him or some popular girl from another department was pursuing him.

Anxiety almost consumed me back then. I called Blake several times a day, and sometimes, I even asked Maeve to keep an eye on where he was.

At first, Blake was patient. He'd reassure me and calm me down, but eventually, he got tired of it.

We started fighting all the time. Whenever our arguments got bad, he'd make comments about how Maeve was more mature and knew how to handle herself better than I did.

I was terrified of losing him, so I was always the one who apologized first.

Maeve, on the other hand, grew closer to Blake.

Looking back, the signs had been there all along.

Once I'd recollected myself, I headed back to the apartment to get my things.

Standing in front of the locked door brought back the memory of the passcode he'd changed.

I hesitated, then entered Maeve's birthday. As the door opened with a beep, I let out a laugh, tears welling in my eyes.

The living room was empty, but the bedroom light was still on.

I walked over and found Maeve leaning over Blake. Their foreheads were touching, their faces so close that their noses were almost brushing. They were close enough to hear each other breathe.

She threw her arms around his neck and kissed his chin.

"Blake, I like you," she said, her face flushing red.

Blake froze, but he didn't push her away.

A smile spread across Maeve's face as she leaned closer, her lips almost touching his.

Something inside me snapped. I stepped forward and pulled Maeve away from him, slapping her hard across the face.

"Are you trying to steal your best friend's boyfriend?" I screamed. "Have you no shame?"

Maeve let out a shrill cry and scrambled off the bed, but I grabbed her by the hair and pulled her back. She slumped to the floor, crying amid the chaos, both cheeks red.

Blake finally caught up to what was happening. He immediately shoved me away and helped Maeve to her feet.

"Does it hurt?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

Then, he turned toward me, his expression icy. "Noelle, have you lost your mind? Apologize to Maeve now!"

I stared into his furious eyes, ready to demand an explanation, but I suddenly realized there was nothing left to say. I didn't answer and simply turned around, grabbing my suitcase and striding out.

Just as the elevator doors were about to close, Maeve came running after me.

"Noelle, I'm sorry," she cried, tugging at my sleeve. "I didn't realize I'd crossed a line. I didn't mean to make you misunderstand…"

I pulled out my phone and showed her the post.

"Maeve, aren't you tired of pretending after all this time?"

The moments she saw what was on the screen, her tearful expression cracked.

"Noelle, you and Blake are too different," she finally said with a sigh. "You were always going to break up with him eventually. There are so many women around him who are better than you. Even if it isn't me, it'll be someone else."

When I reached the ground floor, I walked toward the street to call a taxi, but Maeve grabbed my wrist and wouldn't let go.

"Noelle, you can't keep Blake," she continued. "Just break up with him and let me have him instead."

"Maeve, you're disgusting."

I pried her fingers off my wrist, but she immediately grabbed my suitcase instead, refusing to let go.

We struggled back and forth until, without realizing it, we'd ended up in the middle of the road.

A car suddenly came speeding out of the alley. Its speed kept increasing, and its headlights were so bright through the rain that I could barely keep my eyes open.

Maeve and I both froze.

My legs felt completely numb, and I couldn't move a single step.

Blake shouted Maeve's name as he ran toward us. He reached out and shoved me hard to the side without hesitation, pulling her into his arms first.

The force sent me stumbling forward, straight into the blinding white headlights.