Chapter 2

Jayden suddenly turned to me and said, "Since it's your birthday, you get to decide. How do you want to spend it tomorrow?"

I snapped back to reality and glanced at Regina, who looked a little uneasy. "Let's just spend it here at the hospital."

I had already decided to break up with Jayden. But I needed more evidence. I needed to prove that I had to walk away from both of them.

…

The next day, I was held up when something went wrong with the data from one of my experiments. By the time I made it to the hospital, I was already half an hour late.

As I pushed open the door to Regina's room, I was still trying to figure out how to explain why I was late. But the moment I looked inside, I saw Regina wearing a birthday hat.

Seven or eight of our longtime friends were gathered around her. The room had been filled with laughter and chatter just seconds earlier, but as soon as I walked in, it fell completely silent.

Regina hurriedly took off the birthday hat and looked at me apologetically. "Gabby, I'm sorry. Everyone kept insisting that I wear it, so I did. I wasn't trying to steal your thunder!"

Jayden took the birthday hat from her and put it back on her head. "What are you talking about? Gabby isn't that petty! Keep it on. Maybe some of her birthday luck will rub off on you, and you'll get out of the hospital sooner!"

A few of our friends chimed in immediately. "Exactly! How do you enter a competition and end up in the hospital? You really have terrible luck!"

"Get better soon. We're still counting on you for our next camping trip."

Jayden looked at me with a smile, signaling for me to say something.

Just then, Lennon Smith, the youngest of the group, spoke up. "Gabrielle's pretty great, except she's a little boring. Regina, maybe being around her will bring you some luck!"

The room fell silent again. Everyone looked at one another, unsure of how to respond.

This wasn't the first time someone had called me boring.

Half a month earlier, Jayden and I had gone camping with them. I wasn't feeling well because I was on my period, so they told me to sit down and rest.

I watched Jayden and Regina laughing and joking together in the distance, effortlessly in sync.

I found myself wondering if this relationship was still worth holding on to.

On the way to the camping site, I went to the restroom. As I washed my hands afterward, I heard someone in the men's restroom mention Jayden.

"Which one is Jayden's girlfriend, anyway? You guys said she's the pretty, quiet one, but she doesn't look like it to me."

I recognized the other voice immediately. It was Lennon.

"We all think Jayden and Regina are a better match. They actually have fun together, and Jayden's obviously happier whenever he's around Regina.

"She's nothing like Gabrielle. What's the point of being pretty if you're that boring? All she ever talks about is experiments and data. She's boring as hell. I don't even know why Jayden is dating her…"

Their laughter pulled me back to the present. I quickly realized what they were talking about.

They were sharing embarrassing stories from the last time they'd gone to the neighboring city to watch a race. It was another topic I knew nothing about.

Yet Regina, who had only joined their circle several years after I did, could keep up with them effortlessly. Compared to her, I really did seem boring. I had nothing to contribute to conversations like these.

"Gabby, come make a wish!" Jayden said.

I looked at Jayden, who had been standing beside Regina's bed the entire time.

It was my birthday. Yet my birthday hat was sitting on Regina's head. My birthday cake was sitting in front of Regina. There were so many people in the room, yet not a single one of them seemed to think anything was wrong.

Looking at the scene before me, I suddenly felt like laughing.

Regina visibly relaxed when she saw me walking toward her with a smile. "Gabby, you're finally smiling. I thought you were mad at me!"

Jayden subtly shot me a warning look. Then he turned to reassure Regina. "What's gotten into you today? Keep talking like that, and I might have to teach you a lesson!"

After I blew out the candles and everyone had their cake, Regina insisted that Jayden book a private dining room at a restaurant near the hospital.

On our way out, Jayden slowed down and waited for me to catch up. "What's wrong with you today?"

"Nothing." My voice was calm.

"If nothing's wrong, then why do you look so unhappy? Did something go wrong with your experiment again? Gabrielle, you're always like this. Can't you leave your work problems at work instead of bringing them into our personal lives?

"Regina is already miserable enough being stuck in the hospital. You haven't comforted her once since yesterday, and now you're acting like this right in front of her. How could you?"