Chapter 2

Maybe this was the ultimate form of being hopelessly in love—knowing exactly how badly it hurt and still refusing to let go.

"Aaron, either sit down and behave or go stand somewhere else. Quit getting on everyone's nerves. If your dad hadn't started all this shit, would I even be out here drinking and trying to blow off steam?" Nadine snapped.

I froze on the spot, saying nothing. I just watched that guy lean in closer and closer to Nadine. When I couldn't take it anymore, I stepped forward, grabbed him by the collar, and yanked him away.

She was dressed provocatively, with barely enough fabric covering the important bits. I shrugged off my jacket and wrapped it around her.

She shot me a glare, but when she saw how red my eyes were, she didn't say anything.

The guy gave me a mocking look, lit a cigarette, and laughed. "Well, well, well. And here I thought our big influencer was so addicted to playing simp that he'd just stand there and watch."

I leveled a hard stare at him in warning. "Stay away from my girlfriend from now on, or I won't be so nice next time."

"Hah. And what if it's your girlfriend who keeps coming to me?"

I was about to answer when Nadine cut me off. She shot me an irritated look and growled, "Can you stop being such a brat, Aaron? Quit making a scene. We're all out here to have a good time, and you just have to ruin the mood. Look, just go sing some songs for everyone and hype things up a bit."

I stared at her in disbelief. She ignored the look on my face, took the mic Mikaela handed over, and tossed it to me.

"Yeah, come on. Let's hear a few songs from Mr. Influencer!"

"We should thank Nad for hooking us up. You influencers sing for strangers on livestreams all day, anyway. Singing here shouldn't be a big deal."

"Why are you just standing there, Mr. Influencer? Think you're too good for us?"

"So your followers are worthy of hearing you sing, but we aren't?"

Their cruel, humiliating teasing sank into my heart like a thorn. Pain shot through me with every heartbeat.

My eyes stayed glued to Nadine the whole time. Finally, she snapped at me impatiently.

"Look at you. Who's that attitude for, huh? Sure, you're some big influencer, but only because everyone decided to hype you up. What makes you think you can act like a diva here?

"With that nasty temper of yours, I'm literally the only person who'd even put up with you. If you don't wanna sing, then fine. Just get lost. Stop embarrassing yourself in front of everyone."

My heart twisted painfully. Everyone looked at me with pity, like they were watching a circus act.

"Are you coming back with me or not?" My voice came out rough, with a hint of pleading I couldn't hide.

But Nadine still made no move to leave. She refused to even look at me, her face twisted with nothing but disgust.

I bit my lip and turned to go. The moment I stepped out, deafening laughter exploded behind me. They were all laughing at me.

Tears slipped down my face without a sound as I walked alone through the streets of Sandoff Isle, shivering as if the chill was coming from deep within my bones.

Couples passed by me, laughing and wrapped up in their own little worlds. Their happiness only made my loneliness feel even more terrifying.

At some point, the love story I'd pictured in my head had stopped matching the reality I was living, but I couldn't accept it. I refused to give up just like that.

At this age, I still honestly believed that love mattered more than anything.

I'd actually planned to propose to Nadine that night. I'd made up my mind—no matter how hard my family tried to get between us, I was going to be with her.

I pulled out a diamond ring box from my pocket and gripped it tightly as I dialed Nadine's number over and over. I lost track of how many times I called her, but she didn't pick up once.

The emotionless automated message played in my ear while the sharp corners of the ring box pressed painfully into my palm. I clenched it so tightly that it almost cut into my skin; it took everything I had not to break down in tears right there in the street.

I hated myself so much for being like this, but I just couldn't bring myself to let Nadine go.