Chapter 3

Jennie's POV

Moments later, Eugene called out for me to bring him his pajamas.

I grabbed a set and pushed the bathroom door open, only to catch him hastily flipping his phone face down. He wiped the water on his face away and grinned at me.

"Thanks."

With a whoosh, he shut the door again.

I didn't walk away.

Within seconds, voices started drifting out from the inside. It was Haley who was laughing out loud.

"Why do you have to make it seem like we're having an affair?"

Eugene lazily replied, "You know how petty your best friend is."

Haley snorted, and her tone turned suggestive. "Hurry up and show me your abs. I didn't get a good look earlier!"

"You pervert!" he snapped, feigning annoyance.

…

I didn't stay to listen to the rest of their conversation.

By the time Eugene came out, an hour had passed. His face was flushed, and his eyes were bright as if a fire had lit up inside him. It was obvious that his desire was stoked.

Without even turning off the lights, he lunged at me. But I reached out, blocked him, and said in a flat voice, "We don't have condoms at home."

Eugene froze and instinctively blurted out, "Haley said it's fine during the safe period."

I snapped my head toward him, disgust flashing in my eyes. "Did you seriously tell her about our sex life?"

"No." He immediately denied and sheepishly ran his fingers through his hair.

Seeing the look in my eyes, he realized he couldn't lie his way out of it and continued in an awkward voice, "It's not like she's an outsider."

My eyes slowly fell on his face. All his voice, expression, and actions made it clear where his loyalty lay. I felt like I was the true outsider here.

At this point, I couldn't bear the thought of sharing a bed with him for another second.

"Go sleep in the guest room."

Eugene froze and asked in disbelief, "Just because of that? I came all this way to see you, and you're making me sleep in the guest room?"

"So, you came here just to use me for sex?" I snapped.

He stared at me in silence, clearly furious now.

Suddenly, it felt like the perfect chance to break up. I opened my mouth to say something, but before I could say a word, he slammed the door and stormed out.

I shut my mouth, turned off the lights, and went to sleep.

…

I slept soundly that night. When I woke up, Christophe had texted me my flight ticket.

"Tomorrow at noon. Don't be late."

I replied with a quick text, then got out of bed to wash up. But the moment I opened the bathroom door, a sharp shriek came from the inside.

While I froze and instinctively reached out to close the door, a figure bolted past from behind me and slammed the door shut.

"Why didn't you knock before walking in?" Eugene barked at me in an aggressive voice. For a time, I felt like a stranger in my home.

"What is Haley doing here?"

"She said she missed you," he replied dismissively.

During the past two years I spent renting this apartment, Haley had never visited once. Yet now that Eugene was here, she suddenly missed me.

I didn't say anything else.

When Haley finally came out of the bathroom, she gave me a brief nod and plopped herself down at the dining table.

Eugene placed a fried egg in front of her first. She took a bite, and her eyes immediately lit up. "You really do know me best. You even made it runny for me."

He raised an eyebrow, clearly in an excellent mood, and pushed another plate toward me. "Don't say I'm playing favorites. I made one for you, too."

But holding the fork, I couldn't bring myself to dig in.

I never ate runny eggs. Eugene and I had been together for six years, and to this day, he still couldn't remember.

"Eugene, carry me in a match later," Haley demanded, kicking him under the table.

"You're terrible at the game. No way."

"We're best buddies, aren't we? Why won't you even help me with this?"

As Haley spoke, she grew increasingly agitated and scooted over to him until their thighs were pressed tight against each other.

Because of how big her movements were, her top shifted and exposed her chest. My mind buzzed when I realized that she wasn't wearing a bra.

Eugene's face seemed to flush slightly, and he subtly leaned back a bit.

A wave of nausea hit the back of my throat. With a sharp clink, I slammed my fork on the table, then turned to look at Haley, who was still flirting shamelessly.

"Did I ever mention to you that we're no longer friends?"