Chapter 1

My best friend's first day back home, and he was already drinking himself sick over his first love.

"Three years, and I still can't forget her."

"But she's getting married next week. Tell me, should I take her back?"

He was talking to me, but his eyes kept sliding to the woman at my side.

Leona Sullivan turned her glass in a lazy circle, though the hand resting on her knee had clenched tight.

I opened my mouth to answer, and a few lines of comments drifted past my eyes.

【This dumb side character is still comforting him lol, his girlfriend's practically drooling over the male lead.】

【The female lead spent three years with him just to wait for this day. Now that the first love's back, who wants the stand-in?】

【Once tonight's over, the first love slides into place and the placeholder can get lost.】

I sat frozen where I was.

I met his hopeful eyes and smiled.

"No need to take her."

1.

The words landed, and they both looked at me at almost the same instant.

Displeasure flickered in Stewart Gilbert's eyes. "Corey Fox, what's that supposed to mean?"

"We've been brothers for years. Don't you want me to be happy?"

When I didn't answer, he turned, drink giving him the nerve, and grabbed Leona by the collar.

The space between them vanished in a second.

"He won't say it, so you say it."

"Should I take you back, Leona?"

He leaned hard on her name, dragging out every syllable.

That was when the comments started scrolling like mad.

【Kiss her! The leads wasted all these years, what are they even waiting for!】

【See, true love really is the best to ship!】

【Why hasn't the side character left yet? Can't he tell she only stayed with him to keep tabs on the male lead?】

When her eyes met his, I watched Leona's throat bob, the effort of holding herself back plain on her face.

I thought back to before, how every time we parted, my profile would keep lighting up with her visits.

I'd assumed she just missed me, that she wanted to stay on top of every little thing I did.

Now I understood. It was never about me.

Stewart tightened his grip on her collar again, and only when they were about to press together did Leona push him off.

"You've had too much to drink!"

But Stewart wouldn't let it go.

"I'm not drunk. Why should the two of you get married? Is it wrong that I just want to take back what's mine?"

"You're both giving me a straight answer today."

Leona's face went taut for a moment. She didn't answer.

The truth was, I knew there was an ex she'd never gotten over.

She'd tried to kill herself for him, and for him she'd swallowed her pride and admitted she was the illegitimate daughter of a wealthy family.

What I didn't know was that the man was Stewart.

Leona had never let slip so much as a word of it.

I had no interest in watching any more of it. I picked up the drink in front of me and knocked it back in one go.

"What I mean is, you don't have to take her. He'll give her back to you."

She clearly startled, but reflexively she still steadied Stewart as he swayed beside her.

Stewart wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and threw himself at me, delighted.

"You mean it? No taking it back."

I nodded.

The promise that I'd never take it back never made it out of my mouth, because Leona cut in.

Frowning, she wrapped her suit jacket around Stewart, numb with alcohol.

"He's had too much and doesn't know what he's saying. Why are you playing along with his nonsense?"

"Let's call it a night. I'm heading back to the office anyway, so I can drop him off on the way."

She settled Stewart gently into the back seat.

Only then did she turn around.

"Don't read into it. I'm only helping out because he's your friend."

She stood there, probably still waiting for me to lose my temper with her.

But she seemed to have forgotten that she didn't know where Stewart lived. I'd never told her. So how could it possibly be on her way?

The excuse was full of holes. I didn't care anymore.

I smiled. "It's fine. What you want to do is your own business."