Chapter 2

"Are you getting in or just standing there?"

I snapped out of it.

The bloodstain on my pants was huge, and I didn't want to mess up some stranger's car, so I opened his passenger door.

Kelvin glanced at me.

"Wait."

He handed me a black plastic bag.

I took it, confused.

"You knew your period was coming and still didn't bring a pad. Zoey, you're twenty-eight. Can you at least take care of yourself?

"You spent the whole day walking around school with blood all over your pants. Students kept asking me if you had some serious illness. It was embarrassing."

Embarrassing?

The metallic smell of blood seemed to hit me all over again.

I had remembered to bring pads.

But Kelvin's note made me stop.

I thought he'd finally learned to keep me in mind.

Turns out, the person he cared about was someone else.

I opened the bag.

Inside was a pink pack of pads covered in dust. Some random brand from a corner store, obviously.

"If you really didn't have one, you could've borrowed one. Instead, you hid at school and wouldn't come out. I waited an hour. Go change and get back in. Don't mess up the seats."

He kept talking.

I watched his mouth move and felt drained.

I closed the bag and said quietly, "I can't use this brand."

More accurately, I couldn't use most brands.

They all had fluorescent whitening agents, and I was severely allergic. Even touching it on a normal day left my skin red and irritated.

And during my period? On the most sensitive part of my body?

No.

There was only one brand I could use.

Only one.

Actually, I'd told Kelvin about it when we first started dating.

"Kelvin, I'm allergic to fluorescent whitening agents. This is the only brand of pads I can use. If you ever see them on sale, can you help me stock up?"

Without looking away from his game, he scoffed.

"You're so high maintenance."

My finger paused over my phone.

"Forget it. I'll buy them myself. It's kind of a hassle, and you don't really know much about this stuff anyway..."

He'd always talked to me like that.

Sometimes his words hit out of nowhere, leaving me hurt and wondering what I'd done wrong.

But other than that, he'd treated me pretty well.

After we moved in together, he handled most of the chores. He was a great cook, too, and somehow made me gain five pounds.

He never stopped me from buying things I liked. Even when I brought home weird decorations that totally clashed with his place, he'd just shake his head with a helpless smile.

"Childish."

Over time, I convinced myself that was just who he was. Careless about other people's habits. Sharp-tongued sometimes.

Besides, I was the one who'd chased Kelvin first.

So I used every rare sweet moment to water down the hurt.

I put up with it for three years.

Until today.

I couldn't do it anymore.

"Why can't you use it?"

He'd asked me that question seventeen times.

I'd explained it sixteen.

This time, I didn't.

I tossed the pads in the trash.

"I said I can't use them. Since you're so worried about your precious seats, I'll get my own ride."

His frown tightened.

Then he got out, opened the passenger door, and shoved me in.