Chapter 3

After that day, Jace acted like nothing had changed.

He still ate with me, went to school with me, watched movies with me. He still loved curling up in my arms, acting spoiled, throwing little fits.

The only difference was that every night, he'd go out for his so-called "extra studying" and come home late.

He said he was tutoring his useless friends.

But where he actually went—and what he actually did—twenty-eight-year-old Jace sent me everything.

Every night, he went with Faye to the lounge where she worked. He booked the most expensive private room, did absolutely nothing, and ordered an entire table full of food for her.

"You're way too skinny. We're in the same class, and you're still this underfed? If people find out, they'll laugh at me. You have to try everything. And if you don't finish it, you're not leaving work."

After saying that, he tossed down a stack of cash.

As he watched Faye eat tiny bites, his eyes slowly drifted.

Then Faye looked up.

Their eyes met.

Both of them froze.

Then their faces turned red.

Something shifted quietly between them.

Twenty-eight-year-old Jace seemed satisfied. He turned the camera toward himself, contempt dripping from his voice.

"Do you know why Faye's still working here? Because that day, she was still shaking, but when he said he'd take care of her, she threw herself into his arms and said she didn't want to be some parasite living off him. And you? How could you shamelessly live off my family?"

I didn't answer.

I just looked at him. "So you really don't remember anything?"

He frowned. "Remember what?"

I smiled and closed the video.

I was leaving anyway.

At this point, the truth didn't matter anymore.

***

With the SAT getting closer, the whole classroom felt tense.

So when Jace showed up with the most expensive cake in South Borevia, the entire class lost it.

"Jace, you're insane! Didn't Nadia want this cake?"

"He's still down bad for Nadia. Seriously, it's annoying. Respect, though."

Everyone started teasing him like usual.

I kept smiling, stayed quiet, and watched Jace and Faye steal shy glances at each other.

Then an older voice came from the doorway.

"You've all got it wrong. Today's Faye's birthday. Jace bought the cake for her."

The classroom went dead silent.

Jace shot the man a glare and rushed to explain.

"Nadia, I just felt bad because she's never celebrated her birthday before, so I—"

Before he could finish, twenty-eight-year-old Jace strode over, dragged him aside, and shot me a glare.

"It's obvious you like Faye. Why are you even explaining yourself to her?"

Everyone around us stopped breathing.

They were waiting for me to break down.

Instead, I slipped a hand into future Jace's suit pocket and pulled out a lighter.

Click.

I lit the single candle on Faye's cake.

"Happy birthday."

I placed the cake in Faye's hands and went back to my seat.

Then I picked up my plain slice—the same one everyone else had—and took a big bite.

Eighteen-year-old Jace crouched in front of me, searching my face.

"Nadia, y-you're not mad?"

I smiled sweetly and scooped another bite of frosting into my mouth.

"Why would I be?"

"I secretly celebrated another girl's birthday. You seriously don't care?"

Before I could answer, one of his friends slung an arm around his shoulders.

"Dude, come on. Everyone knows you're crazy about Nadia. She's not gonna get jealous over something this small."

Jace froze, suddenly not knowing what to say.

I just kept smiling at him, then stood up and suggested everyone sing "Happy Birthday" to Faye.

A few voices joined in, then the rest followed.

When Faye asked Jace to blow out the candle with her, I quietly got up, walked out, and tossed my slice into the trash.

The frosting tasted bitter today.

I brushed away my tears, but suddenly someone grabbed my wrist.

Twenty-eight-year-old Jace stared at me, suspicion flashing in his eyes.

"I only started smoking last year. How'd you know I keep my lighter in my left pocket?"

I lowered my eyes and peeled his fingers off my wrist one by one.

"I just grabbed it."

Then I went home alone.

For the first time, I wasn't leaving school with Jace.

Even the driver thought it was weird. After he got back, he told me Jace had given some skinny girl a ride to Old Town in Borevia City.

I smiled like I hadn't heard a thing and kept sending my mom the flight details for our move overseas.

No one in this world was truly irreplaceable.

Not me either.

It was fine.

It really was.