Chapter 2

I once asked him why he never saved my contact information.

He’d said: *Your number is branded into my brain. I could recite it in my sleep. Why would I need to save it?*

Yet Mia was saved on his phone.

Her contact name: *Lucky Piglet.*

In his contacts, on SnapChat, on Instagram—she was pinned to the very top.

I silently scrolled through his screen.

Ethan didn't stop me. He even chuckled with an arrogant smirk. "What, checking up on me? Go ahead, see if there are any sketchy texts with other girls..."

Before he could finish his sentence, a notification from *Lucky Piglet* popped up.

*Ethan! You can't be this biased! Bros before hoes, remember? Lily gets a car, so I want one too! Hurry up and get me one right now!*

Seeing that message, all desire to keep looking drained away.

I handed the phone back to him.

Ethan took it without a word.

As I got up from the couch, I caught a glimpse of his screen.

He’d replied: *Pack funds are a little tight this month. I owe you one, okay?*

Mia wasn't having it. She sent an endless barrage of whining rolling-on-the-floor emojis.

A flicker of hesitation crossed Ethan's face.

He looked up at me. "Lily, our place isn't that far from the café. How about we let Mia have this car first, and I’ll buy you another one next time?"

Last month, we had plans to see a movie.

Right as we reached the theater, Mia called.

She wanted him to go swimming with her.

He had looked at me with that exact same hesitation before saying: *Lily, let's skip the movie today. I'll take you next time.*

Faced with a choice between me and Mia, he always chose her.

I hadn't argued back then.

After he left, I bought a tub of popcorn and a soda, and walked into the theater alone for the very first time.

That was the moment I realized something:

Watching a movie alone wasn't hard at all.

And letting go of something that was never truly mine was even easier.

"Sure, whatever you say," I replied flatly.

The tension on Ethan's face instantly dissolved into visible relief.

He let out a relaxed sigh. "You're always so mature. Mia is just a brat—she’s impossible to handle sometimes."

He made it sound like a complaint, but every syllable dripped with fond indulgence.

What he didn't realize was that I wasn't being "mature."

I just didn't care anymore.

"Oh, by the way," he added, "Mia said a new Mexican spot opened up on South Street. She invited us out to eat."

Before I could decline, he gave me a helpless look. "She really wants to go."

A little while later, Ethan and I were sitting at a table in the Mexican restaurant.

When I dipped my chips in hot salsa, Ethan frowned. "I thought you hated spicy food?"

"I've always loved it. You just never noticed."

I flipped through the menu and ordered everything I liked, along with a strawberry ice cream dessert.

Seeing that, Mia immediately chimed in and ordered a mango shaved ice.

Ethan’s brows furrowed in disapproval.

He snapped at her in a stern whisper, "Aren't you on your cycle? You know cold food makes your cramps worse."

Without waiting for her permission, he crossed the shaved ice off the bill and replaced it with freshly squeezed orange juice.

Mia didn't look offended in the slightest. Instead, she flashed him a sweet, beaming smile.

"So what if it hurts? I'm not scared of anything when you're around!"

I used to have bad cramps, too.

Back then, Ethan would boil warm milk for me every month without fail.

When I was curled up in agonizing pain, his eyes would turn red with genuine heartache.

He would rest his large, warm hand over my freezing stomach, whispering with a slight tremor in his voice: *I wish I could take the pain for you so you wouldn't have to suffer like this.*

Back then, I thought just like Mia. I thought with him by my side, I could endure anything.

Yet ever since Mia came back to the Pack, his tenderness had completely vanished.

Watching them playfully flirt in front of everyone, I felt like a third wheel who didn't belong in the room.

Just then, a server walked up and placed a milk tea with two straws down right in front of them.

"Happy tenth anniversary to our owners!" the server announced with a bright smile. "To celebrate, every couple dining with us today gets a complimentary drink!"