Chapter 2 Outsider in My Own Love Story

The crowd fell silent.

Nicholas looked slightly annoyed, though the smile never left his face. "What do you think? Do I have a girlfriend?"

Before I could respond, Chelsea stepped between us, blocking my view of him. Her familiar, sweet, dimpled smile quickly eased the tension. "Paige, come on. There are so many people here. Can't you give Nicholas a little privacy?"

Of course, no one knew the truth. To everyone else, I was just a nosy coworker who had crossed a line.

One of my coworkers took my hand and pulled me aside. "Paige, we're supposed to admire them from a distance. You can't just put them on the spot and demand they admit they're dating."

She turned to Chelsea with an apologetic grin. "Sorry about that. She's new to this whole thing. I'll teach her the rules."

Chelsea smiled sweetly. "Thanks. I'd appreciate that."

I could only gape at her, words stuck somewhere between my heart and my throat.

Nicholas, meanwhile, looked thoroughly displeased. He carefully adjusted the scarf around Chelsea's neck, then hurried off with her toward a rideshare waiting by the curb.

For the next hour, I kept checking our group chat, waiting for either of them to explain what had happened. But neither sent a single message, not even a goodbye. Instead, I saw Chelsea liking every photo our coworkers had posted of the two of them on social media.

…

By the time I got home, Nicholas was already there.

He came out of the bathroom, rubbing his damp hair with a towel. As he passed me, he stopped and leaned closer to look at my face.

"Have you been crying?" He frowned. "Seriously? You're this upset over something that isn't even real?"

Then he came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, resting his chin against my neck. His breathing was uneven as he spoke. "Stop overthinking everything. Chelsea isn't some random woman. She's your best friend. If you can't trust the two of us, who can you trust?"

A cold shiver crept along my spine.

I pulled away and turned to face him. "That's exactly the point! She's my best friend! There shouldn't even be rumors like this in the first place!"

I held his gaze and demanded, "Post something on the company forum tomorrow and clear things up. Tell everyone the truth, and I'll believe you."

Nicholas dropped his arms, his expression turning cold. "So, you want me to humiliate Chelsea in front of everyone just to make yourself feel better? She's a victim of these rumors, too. We're both caught up in this, and I have a responsibility to protect her."

He did not give me a chance to respond. He simply walked out of the bedroom and shut the door behind him.

…

The next morning, Chelsea's laughter woke me.

"Nicholas, move over! You're taking up all the space!"

Still groggy, I got out of bed and opened the bedroom door. Nicholas and Chelsea stood shoulder to shoulder in my kitchen, each cooking breakfast on a separate burner.

Ever since Chelsea claimed her gas line needed repairs, she had been coming over to use our kitchen almost every day.

When she heard me approaching, she turned around with a bright smile. "Morning, Paige! Oh, did we wake you? I made you some coffee!"

He was busy tightening her apron strings. He glanced over his shoulder when he noticed me. "Don't just stand there. Help Chelsea plate the food."

"Oh, it's fine. I've got it!" she said cheerfully.

As she spoke, she gently brushed a stray lock of hair away from Nicholas' face. Neither of them seemed to notice.

Barefoot on the chilly floor, I watched them glide around each other as if they belonged in the same rhythm.

I felt like a stranger in my own home.

"I'll grab breakfast somewhere else," I said.

I could not stand another second in that kitchen. I escaped to the bedroom, threw on some clothes, and made for the door.

However, as I passed the dining table, something caught my eye.

There were only two plates of breakfast waiting on the table.

They had not even thought to make a third plate.

…

By the time I got to work, I was starving. I had not eaten that morning, and before I could grab a bite, my coworker, who had been trying to recruit me into their little fan club, rushed over.

"Paige! Come look! There's a new update!"

She pulled me over to her computer, where a candid photo of Nicholas and Chelsea filled the screen. They were sitting side by side on a bench, eating lunch from matching containers.

"Okay, who do you think packed lunch for whom?" she asked, giggling. "Wait, what if they're actually living together?"

She zoomed in on the photo, looking for clues.

Then, she suddenly gasped. "Oh, my God! Look at their phones! They both have access to the same apartment building! They really might be living together!"

I leaned in, and my stomach twisted with dread.

The access pass on Chelsea's phone was mine.

Nicholas had taken it from me a while ago and never returned it.

Before I could fully process what I was seeing, my coworker grabbed my arm again. "Oh, Paige, I've got something even better!"

She leaned closer and lowered her voice, as though she were letting me in on some huge secret.

"The group has officially decided you're ready to join our inner circle. But first, you have to see what these two are like when they think no one's watching."

Later, she opened a shared photo album. Thousands of pictures filled the screen, and after a moment of scrolling, she clicked one.

"This is our most-liked photo ever!"

I froze.

In the picture, Nicholas had his arms wrapped around Chelsea's waist, lifting her off the ground and spinning her in the snow. They were both laughing, happier than I had ever seen them.

"Remember that huge snowstorm last year?" my coworker said excitedly. "They got stranded at the ski resort together, and I managed to sneak this picture!"

She sighed. "Don't they look like a couple straight out of a romance drama?"

Her words barely registered.

Of course I remembered that snowstorm. How could I forget?

Last year, when the snow got really bad, I drove out to pick up Nicholas. But as I entered a tunnel, part of it collapsed, trapping me inside for a full day.

I called Nicholas repeatedly, then tried Chelsea, but neither answered.

Several hours went by.

…

By the time Nicholas finally called me back, my phone was nearly dead.

"Chelsea's running a high fever, and the roads are closed. I'm trying to figure out how to get her to a hospital. Can you stop making things harder for me?"

I had been terrified, so scared that I had bitten down on my own arm just to stop myself from sobbing.

Yet even then, all I could think about was his safety.

I had told him to drive carefully, avoid tunnels, and stay safe.

All that time, I had believed they were in danger.

But now, staring at that photo of them laughing together in the snow, I finally understood why neither of them had answered my calls.

They had not wanted me interrupting their romantic getaway.

I mumbled something about needing the restroom and hurried away from my desk. The second I locked myself inside a bathroom stall, I broke down.

I wept until my breath came in ragged gasps, letting the rush of the faucet swallow my sobs whole.

It took me a while to pull myself together. When I finally left the restroom, I passed a window overlooking the fourth-floor terrace.

And there they were.

Nicholas and Chelsea had finished their matching lunches and were standing close together, lighting each other's cigarettes, laughing and chatting as though they had no care in the world.

…

I stood there watching them for a moment before finally turning away.

Then, I took out my phone and messaged Nicholas. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I imagined everything. Either way, I want to break up."