Chapter 3

The words "break up" reached the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed them back. It wasn't because I couldn't bear to let go of all those years together. I simply knew Tiffany too well.

She'd never believe I was actually breaking up with her. She'd only think I was angry.

I pressed my lips together. "It's nothing."

Tiffany casually grabbed a shirt and tossed it to me. "Get dressed. Don't keep Blake waiting too long."

The moment I pulled on my shirt, she dragged me out the door.

Compared to my plain clothes, Blake looked exceptionally sharp today. Standing side by side, the two of them looked far more like a couple than we did.

At the tourist attraction, Tiffany bought anything Blake showed the slightest interest in without even glancing at the price.

When a 3-dollar fridge magnet caught my eye for a second, she immediately said it was too expensive. By the time we'd made one lap around the place, the two of them had filled two large shopping bags.

All I had was a bottle of water.

Tiffany naturally shoved the bags into my hands. "Nicholas, you're the older one. It's not too much to ask you to carry some of our stuff, right?"

The weight dropped suddenly into my hands and nearly pulled me off balance. By the time I steadied myself, the two of them had already walked into another store.

I trailed behind with the two heavy bags while they strolled ahead, arm in arm.

When I finally caught up, I found them posing for a picture at one of the attraction's popular photo spots.

The photographer smiled at Blake. "Young man, your girlfriend is beautiful."

Blake hurriedly explained, his face turning red. "She's not my girlfriend yet."

The photographer gave him a knowing thumbs-up. Tiffany didn't bother correcting him.

I stood right beside her, yet it felt as though an entire galaxy separated us.

She'd never held my hand in public. She'd never called me her boyfriend in front of other people. Whatever intimacy we shared was confined to the pitch-black hours of the night.

Perhaps she noticed my displeasure because, for the first time, she spoke up. "Nicholas, I'll take a picture of you."

She urged me toward the photo spot. Instead, I grabbed her arm. "You're taking it with me."

Blake immediately tried to squeeze in. "Let's take one together. It's been forever since the three of us took a picture."

I pushed him aside. "No. I only want a picture with my girlfriend."

The smile on Blake's face froze. He bit his lip unwillingly, then raised his phone and took our picture.

The moment he finished, Tiffany pulled away from me. "Nicholas, we got the picture. You should be over it now, right? Blake's younger than you. Why are you jealous of him?"

She walked over to Blake and linked her arm through his. "Come on. I'll take you around. Your brother's just being petty. Let's ignore him."

Blake nodded with reddened eyes and looked as though he'd just been bullied.

Quite a few people nearby had stopped to watch the scene.

"Damn, that gorgeous girl's boyfriend isn't even the handsome guy?"

"Isn't that her bodyguard? He was carrying all their stuff just now."

"No way. That's the first time I've ever mistaken a couple on a trip."

Their words cut into me like knives.

When we were kids, we'd played house together. Tiffany was always the queen, Blake was the king, and I was always stuck playing the guard or servant.

Later, when we reached high school, the entire school was obsessed with the idea of Tiffany and Blake as a couple. They'd grown up together, came from similar backgrounds, and seemed like a perfect match.

Then I came along and got between them.

My classmates mocked me for being a poor country boy who wasn't good enough for Tiffany.

The next day, Tiffany openly held my hand at school and silenced them with her actions. She'd heard every one of those comments.

In the past, she would've marched over and argued with those people until they were too scared to say another word. But now, she merely frowned and kept walking.

When she realized I wasn't following, she turned around and called to me. "Nicholas, come on. Let's go to the next attraction."

I set the bags on the ground and spoke calmly. "I want to see the dolphin show. You two can carry your own stuff."

Tiffany grabbed me and pulled me back. "Nicholas, what's the rush? It's just a show. I'll take you tomorrow.

"Let's go to the aquarium today. Blake's been wanting to see it for ages."

Blake… At some point, though I couldn't say exactly when, every conversation I had with Tiffany had started revolving around him.

"Tiffany, I never said I needed you to come with me."

Before she could answer, I climbed into a taxi and left.

From then on, I would walk the rest of the road alone.