Chapter 2

The next morning, Sheldon was woken by dozens of texts from Caroline, all asking when he was coming over.

Bitterness rose in his chest, and he thought, "Caroline, do you have any idea how cruel you are?"

His hands trembled as he texted back, "Not feeling well today. I'm not coming over."

A little while later, Lewis and Diana knocked on his door.

Diana said, "Sheldon, I know you're upset with Caroline, but don't start sulking now. Go get dressed and head over to her place.

"You know how much this means to her. She's had a thing for Oliver for years. As soon as she heard he was back, she asked your dad to help set them up."

Lewis chimed in, "Exactly. Oliver took piano lessons from me for a while, and I even went to his house myself to set this up. We've got gifts and dinner planned, so you can imagine how much effort has gone into it.

"Caroline wants you there to help make things less awkward. Having someone his own age around should help Oliver feel more comfortable.

"She really has feelings for him, Sheldon. You two have always been close. How can you not help her out?"

Caroline even went so far as to call his parents when he refused to go.

With Lewis and Diana continuing to urge him, Sheldon had no choice but to push his feelings aside, get ready, and go downstairs.

The Grahams and the Reeds lived close to each other. So, ten minutes later, Sheldon was at the Reed residence, opening the shoe cabinet by the door.

But the cabinet was empty, and his navy-blue slippers were nowhere to be found. He searched all over before finally finding them in the trash can outside.

Sheldon's slippers weren't the only things in the trash. His mug, toothbrush, towel, and pajamas were in there, too.

"Mr. Graham, Ms. Reed threw all of these away. Here, please use these shoe covers for now."

Sheldon stood there, staring at the trash can for a long moment.

The Grahams and the Reeds had been close for generations, so he practically visited the Reed residence every day and often stayed the night.

Caroline had set aside a bedroom just for him and stocked it with everything he needed, even choosing his favorite colors. She'd always told him that this was his home, too, and that he could make himself at home.

Behind their families' backs, Sheldon and Caroline kissed and clung to each other by the front door. They also held hands under the dinner table and made love in the study.

But now that Oliver was back, Caroline was afraid the man she was in love with might get the wrong idea. That was why she'd thrown out everything that belonged to Sheldon.

It took Sheldon a while to compose himself. Then, he put on the shoe covers.

As soon as he walked in, he saw Caroline peeling fruit for Oliver, the two of them chatting and laughing together.

She sat on the couch in a custom-made satin dress. Her hair was carefully styled, and the perfume lingered on her skin. She looked cool and untouchable, the kind of woman who seemed impossible to get close to.

Back in school, Sheldon had often heard guys talk about how gorgeous Caroline was.

They used to joke that she could wear a paper bag and still look stunning. They also said that if she ever dressed up, no actress in show business could compete with her.

Yet, Caroline had always been free-spirited. Most days, she wore nothing more than a T-shirt or button-down and couldn't be bothered to dress up.

Apparently, she could actually make an effort to impress someone she liked.

The day before, she'd been in bed with Sheldon, wrapped up in him. Today, she acted as though she barely knew him. She simply glanced at him before turning all her attention to Oliver.

They chatted about everything from their hobbies and the weather to work, jewelry brands, childhood memories, and their school days.

Sheldon watched Caroline keep the conversation going, moving from one topic to the next. He then lowered his eyes with a bitter smile. So, she could take the initiative when she liked someone.

"It's funny how often we ran into each other in high school," Oliver said with a smile. "After all, you were a year ahead of me, and we were in different buildings. Guess we were meant to meet."

The tips of Caroline's ears turned red, and a bitter smile tugged at Sheldon's lips. Meant to meet, huh?

In reality, Caroline had arranged every one of those encounters.

Back then, Sheldon had watched as she did everything she could to win Oliver, and it had torn him apart.

When Oliver left the country, Sheldon had thought he finally had a chance with Caroline. Now, watching them together, he realized she was the one who'd gotten her wish.

Lost in thought, Sheldon heard someone mention his name.

"I heard back in high school that you had a childhood friend you were especially close to. That must be Mr. Graham, right?"

Sheldon froze. When he looked up, Oliver was watching him with a questioning look.

Before he could answer, Caroline's parents, Edmund Reed and Helen Moore, eagerly chimed in, "Oh, they were very close.

"They'd been inseparable since they were little, and we'd even talked about arranging a marriage between them—"

Caroline's expression darkened before they could finish. She cut them off. "Mom, Dad, don't be ridiculous. I could fall for anyone, but I'd never fall for Sheldon."

Hearing that, Sheldon lowered his gaze to hide his disappointment and forced a smile.

"Same here. I could be with anyone, but I'd never be with Caroline."

Caroline's expression faltered for a moment before she quickly composed herself. She slung an arm around Sheldon's shoulders, as if he were one of the guys.

"Exactly!" she chirped. "We're just friends. Nothing more."

In an instant, the mood in the living room relaxed considerably.

Sheldon smiled along with everyone else, then caught Caroline's relieved whisper. "Nice save. Thanks for covering for me."

He said nothing. Instead, he stepped away from her to put some distance between them.

Sheldon hadn't been covering for Caroline. He'd meant every word.