Chapter 3

Seeing me and the oversized box in my arms, the two of them both stopped in their tracks.

Lisa's eyes landed on the box. She froze for a second, then that familiar, knowing smirk crept back onto her face.

She let out a scornful laugh. "Seriously, Adam? You're actually going through with this?"

Her tone was maddeningly certain. "Come on, stop it. Just hang onto that stuff and use it. If you hand it back now and then come crawling back once you've cooled off, you'll just have to take it all back again anyway. Don't make this harder than it needs to be."

It was like she thought she already knew exactly how this was going to play out, like I was just following a she'd already written.

Before I could get a word in, Freddy stepped forward and gave Lisa's arm an affectionate pat, chiding her. "Come on, don't talk to him like that."

Then he turned to me, his expression a careful mix of helpless and innocent.

"Adam, don't be mad, okay? This is on me. Is it because I kept having Lisa save me a seat, 'borrow' her homework, even pretend to be my girlfriend to scare off girls I wasn't interested in? Did that give you the wrong idea?"

His voice was earnest, almost wounded.

"We really are like brother and sister. We've been that way since we were kids, nothing more to it. I'll be more careful from now on, okay? Just don't take it out on Lisa."

Watching him put on that performance, and watching Lisa's face light up with a look that practically said look how thoughtful and considerate Freddy is, whatever I'd been holding back all these days finally snapped.

I ignored Freddy completely and looked straight at Lisa, my voice coming out colder than I even recognized.

"Lisa. Listen carefully. I'm not throwing a tantrum."

I hefted the heavy box in my hands. "I don't want any of this back. Do whatever you want with it."

Then I dropped it at her feet.

It hit the ground with a dull, heavy thud, and the corner of the cardboard split open on impact.

Books, notes, and odds and ends spilled out across the pavement in a mess.

I didn't bother looking at the shock and humiliation frozen on Lisa's face, and I ignored Freddy's exaggerated gasp. I just turned and walked straight back into the dorm building.

Behind me, I heard Lisa's furious, strangled voice, followed by the sound of her kicking the box in a fit of rage. "Adam! Fine! You want to play it that way!"

Back in my room, I collapsed onto my bed and fell into a heavy, restless sleep.

My dreams were full of Lisa, of everything we used to be.

Freshman move-in day. Her in crisp workout clothes, smiling as she took my heavy suitcase right out of my hands. "Hey, which dorm are you in? I just finished unpacking. Let me help you."

Sitting through boring gen-ed electives together. Falling into an easy rhythm at club events. Handing her water while she played volleyball, and her laughing as she ruffled my hair.

From mutual interest, to nervously holding hands, to finally making it official.

I really had believed, once, that she was the one.

She used to say she loved how serious I was about everything, that we were going to build a future together, side by side.

So when had it all started to change?

Probably sophomore year, right around the time Freddy enrolled in our school.

Their families were old friends, and the two of them had grown up together.

Freddy was outgoing, playful, easygoing, pretty much the exact opposite of my quiet, focused nature.

From that point on, "Freddy needs help" became the top priority in Lisa's life, no matter what.

If he had a test he couldn't handle, she'd stay up all night highlighting the material for him.

If he got tangled up in some social mess, she'd step in and smooth it over.

If he was heartbroken and miserable, she'd cancel plans with me to go cheer him up.