Chapter 2

Mia, my best friend, wasn't even surprised. She let me in and went right back to putting on a sheet mask.

"Alright, spill. What did he do this time?" Mia asked, smoothing the mask over her face.

I dropped my bag, collapsed onto her couch, and sighed. "I don't think Zach really loves me. If he did, why can't he just keep his distance from other girls?"

Our relationship started in a pretty cliché way.

One day, I was shopping at the mall when a strange guy suddenly threw his arm around my shoulder.

I was about to scream for help, but he quickly whispered an explanation. A girl who had a massive crush on him was stalking him, and he wanted her to think he had a girlfriend so she'd leave him alone. He begged me to play along.

My brain short-circuited, and for some reason, I agreed.

We ended up hanging out and shopping all afternoon.

To thank me, Zach asked me out to dinner, then a movie.

Before long, he confessed his feelings.

Maybe because he was incredibly handsome, a smooth talker, and knew exactly what girls wanted to hear, I fell for him fast.

It wasn't until much later that I found out he lied that day. No one was stalking him. It was just a pickup line to talk to me.

He said it was love at first sight.

He really was good to me, catering to my every whim and surprising me with sweet little gifts.

But there was one catch: he was also too nice to other girls.

Rumor had it he had countless exes, and none of them hated him. They all missed him and talked about how great he was.

His longest relationship before me was six months. We had been together for over two years.

That was why I thought I was special. I was the one who tamed him.

"Didn't you know this about him from the start?" Mia had heard me complain about this a thousand times.

At first, she was patient, comforting me and telling me to either let it go or find someone better.

But now, she knew my pattern. She didn't even want to waste her breath.

I groaned, then sat up straight. "Mia, I'm serious this time. If I take him back, call me a clown."

Just then, my phone rang.

It was Zach.

I wanted to ignore it, but right before it went to voicemail, I picked up.

"What?" I snapped.

"Babe, you forgot your favorite plushie. You can't sleep without it, remember? I brought it over. Come downstairs and grab it, okay?"

Zach's voice was soft and soothing, just like every other time we fought. His attitude was perfect.

A second ago, I thought nothing he said could sway me. Now, I desperately wanted to run downstairs.

I forced a cold tone. "No need. I don't even want my boyfriend anymore, why would I want a stuffed toy?"

Afraid my legs would betray me, I hung up immediately.

Mia peeled off her mask, massaged the remaining serum into her neck, and gave me a thumbs-up.

"Nice. You're actually making progress. I thought you'd be out the door in a heartbeat."

"No way," I lied, trying to look tough. "When I say we're done, we're done."