Chapter 2

Sienna snatched the glass right out of my hand. "What are you doing sitting here? Let's go home and talk. Don't ruin the mood for everyone else."

I arched an eyebrow, looking her dead in the eye.

"How exactly am I ruining the mood? Or do you actually believe I'm the kind of person who would bully Declan in college, just like he said?" I asked.

Just then, one of our classmates gasped.

"Oh, my God! Why is your hand turning black? That looks like severe frostbite!"

Only then did Sienna finally shift her attention down to my hand.

"You're hurt that badly? I'm sorry I didn't notice earlier…"

I chuckled, waving her off, but I refused to let the subject drop.

"That doesn't really matter to you anymore, does it? Just answer me. We've been together for four years, so is that really who I am in your eyes?"

Sienna yanked my arm impatiently, trying to force me to my feet.

"It's not like I haven't seen you get into fights with street thugs before. You were ruthless," she argued.

I had only been in two fights my entire life, and both times, I was defending her.

Now, those exact moments had become the proof she needed to label me a school bully.

It was utterly ridiculous.

I shook her hand off, grabbed another glass of liquor, and marched over to Declan. "Since my girlfriend thinks I've been picking on you, I guess I owe you an apology."

I downed the drink in one gulp and turned toward the exit.

As I reached the door, I paused and looked back over my shoulder.

"Tell him he can move into the apartment tomorrow because I'm leaving. See? Now everyone knows exactly how much I love you. Are you satisfied?"

Under their stunned gazes, I pulled out my phone, snapped a quick photo of the whole group, and walked away with a smile.

The moment I stepped outside, my smile vanished.

I took a deep breath of the crisp night air, pulled out my phone, and dialed an international number.

"Hey, Josephine. I know I turned down your internship offer at the hospital abroad, but is it too late for me to change my mind?"

"As long as you want it, the door is always open, Spencer. But did something happen?" asked the voice on the other end of the line.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. "No. I'm just finally free."

When I got back to the apartment later that night, I began packing my things, piece by piece.

I didn't actually own much, so everything I had fit easily into a single large suitcase. The part that took the most time, however, was throwing away all the decorations I had personally crafted for this place.

There was the wooden photo wall I had spent hours sanding by hand, along with a mountain of gifts I had bought Sienna over the years that she had never used.

By the time I was done, it was already 3:00 am.

I had just lain down on the couch and pulled a blanket over myself when I heard the front door click open.

Sienna walked in, carrying a takeout bag. "You're still up at this hour? Were you waiting up for me?"

I chuckled to myself bitterly.

Ever since we moved into this place, I had lain on this exact couch waiting for her, no matter how late she stayed out partying.

She walked over, sat down beside me, and pulled out a container of warm stew, popping the lid off.

"You drank tonight, so eat some of this stew to settle your stomach."

I picked up the spoon and stirred it around, but I couldn't bring myself to take a bite. Instead, I looked up and asked, "Are these your leftovers?"

A flash of panic darted through her eyes, though a sudden flare of anger instantly replaced it.

"I went out of my way to get this for you out of the goodness of my heart! If you're going to be ungrateful, fine, but how can you think so poorly of me?" she questioned.

I set the spoon down, deliberately burying a half-eaten pancake beneath the surface of the broth.

I had no interest in arguing with her anymore.

"I already ate. I'm not hungry," I said.

"You—"

Seeing that I was about to lie back down, she suddenly seized my hand, and the pain made me hiss through my teeth.