Chapter 1

The roses landed in the trash with a dull thud, interrupting Edith Zimmerman and Blake Shelton's endless bickering.

The two of them turned to me.

Blake sighed and pursed his lips. "Well, Mr. Payton is mad again. You'd better go calm him down. I'll get going. Don't forget what you promised me."

Once the door closed, Edith pulled the roses out of the trash and set them on the table beside me.

"Why are you giving Blake that look? I only slept with him because of you," Edith said. "If you didn't fall for me again so easily every time, I wouldn't have needed Blake to make you give up on me."

Everything they had done behind my back was supposedly for my own good.

It was twisted and ridiculous.

"Edith, I'm never going to fall for you again," I said.

Edith thought I was throwing another fit. She came over and threw herself into my arms.

"That's fine. You never have to love me again. I'll love you instead."

She had said the same thing when she first confessed her feelings to me.

I thought I had finally found happiness, but I never imagined it would turn into an eight-year nightmare.

"Babe, you look so good when you're upset with me. I like you this way much more than when you cling to me," Edith said. "Let's go see a movie tonight. You've wanted to go with me for a long time, haven't you?"

She kissed my cheek, soothing me in that same patronizing way she used whenever I threw a fit.

Six months ago, I told her I wanted to watch a movie with her.

I was holding her in bed when I asked her, and she said yes.

I was happy all day. I picked a time, chose a restaurant, and bought the tickets.

That night, she texted me to say she had arrived.

When I got to the theater, I saw Edith standing by the ticket machine, holding Blake's hand.

As soon as she saw me, she snatched the two tickets from my hand. "Blake likes this movie too. Today's tickets are sold out, so you can come back tomorrow by yourself."

"But you promised me," I argued.

She met my red-rimmed eyes and said nonchalantly, "It was just something I said. A promise isn't legally binding, so don't take it too seriously."

I watched them go inside.

Later, Blake sent me a message. It was a picture of their fingers intertwined.

"Edith thinks you've been too clingy lately. She's afraid she'll want to break up with you again, so she's deliberately trying to hurt you. Don't cry, okay? Also, don't blame her. She's only doing all this because she wants to stay with you."

I didn't reply, and I didn't cry.

After that, I never wanted to watch a movie with Edith again.

Edith's warm hand slipped into mine. "Come on. The movie's about to start. Afterward, we'll go to your beach house and watch the sunrise."

She remembered every little thing I had ever told her, and she'd even do them with me.

But it only happened after I had decided to give up on her.

I pulled my hand away.

"Edith, let's break up."