Chapter 1

"Over one cup of milk? Is that really necessary, Adam?

"So which of my accounts are you blocking this time? Instagram? My number? Fine, go ahead. I'll be waiting. Give it a few days, and you'll be begging to add me back."

Lisa Witherspoon's voice carried its usual mocking edge. She even turned to roll her eyes at Freddy Bateman and the friends who'd just walked up behind her, mouthing "throwing a fit again" without bothering to hide it.

Freddy cradled the steaming cup of milk in both hands, sipping at it slowly, his eyes flicking between the two of us with a faint, satisfied gleam.

I looked at the girl I'd liked for three years, chased for three years, and built an entire future around.

The cramp in my stomach and the heaviness in my chest twisted together into something else entirely: a cold, clear-headed calm.

I didn't look at either of them again. I just turned and walked away.

My stomach still ached, but for some reason, my steps felt lighter than they had in a long time.

Over one cup of milk?

Lisa would never know how many accumulated disappointments and dashed hopes it had taken for that one cup to finally break me.

I'd liked her for three years, since the very first day of freshman orientation, when she'd shown up early and taken my heavy suitcase right out of my hands. Her smile had been so open, her eyes so bright, that I thought I'd found someone who actually wanted the same things I did.

I'd worked hard to keep pace with her after that. I signed up for the same electives, joined the same clubs, stayed up late cramming just to keep up with her grades.

I'd been dead set on us getting into the same program and university, certain that was the future we were building side by side.

Now I didn't want any of it.

Because I'd already applied to a top university, Monarch University. It was the same dream university she'd once waved off as "too hard, not realistic."

All those accumulated disappointments had worn my feelings for her down to almost nothing, which was exactly why I'd applied for that offer long before I ever said a word about breaking up. It was just that three years together had made it hard to actually pull the trigger, until now.

I didn't need to hesitate anymore.

Give up on going to the same university together? Yes.

Give up on her? Yes.

My heart didn't beat for her anymore, and my future didn't revolve around her anymore either.

After the breakup, the first thing I did was block and delete every contact method and social platform she could possibly think of.

I did it cleanly, without a second thought, with something close to cruel satisfaction.

My world went quiet for a week.

I thought I'd finally found real peace.

Then, one night, a classmate who still crossed paths with Lisa but got along fine with me sent over a screen recording, hesitating the whole time.

[Adam, you should watch this yourself. Just... don't let it get to you too much.]

The video had been filmed in a study room. Lisa sat there with a couple of her close friends and Freddy, clearly recorded without her knowledge.

She still sounded just as confident as ever. "It's fine. A few days of the cold shoulder is his limit. He won't be able to hold out much longer before he comes crawling back. Isn't that how it always goes?"