Chapter 2

My phone vibrated the following morning.

Brianna had sent a text.

"Michael, have you had a chance to calm down and clear your head after last night? Elliot feels terrible about what happened yesterday, too. His grandmother was in really bad shape, and I just couldn't pull myself away. Let me take you out to that steak spot you love tonight to make it up to you, okay?"

Staring at the words, I didn't reply.

She genuinely thought this was just a typical instance of running late, a minor hiccup that could be brushed aside with a dinner date and a few sweet words.

I took half the day off from work, grabbed my spare key, and took a taxi to Brianna's apartment.

Half the items in that place belonged to me, and I intended to pack up all my clothes and personal belongings to clear myself out of her life.

The door lock clicked softly.

As I pushed the door open, however, my footsteps ground to a halt right in the entryway.

Sitting neatly by the shoe rack was a pair of men's dress shoes, and they weren't my size.

A moment later, the guest room door swung open.

Elliot stepped out, casually fixing his hair. He wore a dark gray cashmere cardigan layered over a white t-shirt and pants.

That exact cardigan was the birthday gift Brianna had meticulously picked out for me just last month. She'd told me to wear it whenever the weather turned cold. But now, it was draped over Elliot's shoulders.

Elliot froze when he caught sight of me, instinctively pulling the cardigan tightly around himself. "Michael… What are you doing here?"

The master bedroom door opened next.

Brianna walked out in her loungewear, and the second she spotted me standing in the entryway, the color drained from her face.

"Michael?"

Staring at the two of them, I felt a wave of nausea hit my stomach. "Is this how you make things up to me? By bringing another guy into your apartment?"

Brianna rushed over, reaching out to grab my hand. "Michael, calm down! Just let me explain!"

I took a step back, dodging her touch. "Explain what?"

I pointed a finger at the cardigan Elliot wore. "Explain why he's walking out of your guest room or why he's wearing the clothes you bought for me?"

Brianna's brows furrowed, a defensive edge creeping into her voice.

"Can you please stop being so insecure? Elliot passed out from low blood sugar in the hospital hallway last night after taking care of his grandmother.

"I couldn't just leave him stranded on the street, could I? His clothes had vomit on them from last night, so he just grabbed something random from the closet."

Something random?

That cardigan sat in the most prominent spot in the closet, sealed inside a protective garment bag.

Elliot's face remained pale, yet he offered a calm explanation.

"Michael, please don't get the wrong idea. Ms. Lindt stayed up late talking to my grandmother last night. She didn't feel safe letting me drive home alone, which is the only reason she let me crash in the guest room for the night. My clothes got ruined, so I just borrowed yours for a bit."

As he spoke, he raised his hands to slip off the cardigan. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know Ms. Lindt bought this specifically for you. I'll give it back right now. Please don't be mad at her."

Brianna immediately grabbed his wrist to stop him, throwing a sharp, disapproving glare my way. "That's enough, Michael! He just got back from the hospital. If you make him take that off, what is he supposed to wear?"

I watched in silence as Brianna shielded him.

Seven years.

I'd stayed by her side from the early days of her startup, pulling all-nighters to draft business proposals, all the way until she became the fierce CEO she was today.

I'd genuinely believed what we had was unbreakable.

As it turned out, all it took was a bout of low blood sugar, a request from an old woman, and a soiled shirt to shatter my seven-year relationship into pieces.

Pulling the spare key from my pocket, I slammed it onto the entryway shoe rack. "Keep it. It's ruined anyway."

Turning on my heel, I pushed open the apartment door and walked out.

Panic finally set in, and Brianna chased me down the corridor.

"Michael, wait! Don't leave! I'll make him pack up and leave right this second," she yelled after me. "I swear I'll keep my distance from him from now on. Please don't do this!"