Chapter 2
Chapter 2
I got up and left the coffee shop. I didn’t want to stick around and listen to Daxon comfort her.
Never thought there’d come a day when even our breakup would feel this half-assed.
That night, friends had organized a murder mystery game. I didn’t want to make things awkward for everyone because of the breakup, so I sucked it up and
went.
When I got to the door, I was a few minutes late. I could hear my friends inside complaining about me.
“Is Skylar gonna bail because she’s pissed again? What did you guys even fight about this time?”
“Same old thing-that Instagram post.”
Someone laughed dismissively. “She’s seriously mad about that? You’re president of the photography club at our school. What’s the big deal about taking some photos and posting them? Skylar’s being way too petty.”
“Right? Last time we played murder mystery, Daxon got paired with someone else for the couple’s storyline and she got so pissed we couldn’t even finish the
game.”
“If I were looking for a girlfriend, I’d want someone sweet and chill, not someone who’s always blowing up. Like, Aria’s perfect.”
Daxon sighed.
“Can’t help it, that’s just how she is. Guess I’ve been spoiling her too much.”
Someone laughed. “You keep spoiling her like that, and she’ll get so bratty no one else will want her. Then she’ll be stuck with you forever. Let’s see how you
handle that.”
A soft, gentle voice drifted from inside the room.
“Skylar’s so lucky though. If someone pampered me like that, I’d never want to fight with them.”
So Aria was there too.
Daxon’s friends immediately started egging them on. “Well then, let’s give you two the couple’s storyline tonight.”
“Really? Can I pick one where Daxon confesses to me and we have all those cute interactions?” she asked playfully.
Then I heard Daxon respond with a laugh in his voice.
“Alright!”
Then Daxon warned everyone:
“You guys better not go blabbing about this, or my little jealousy queen will throw another fit.”
I let go of the door handle and walked away.
The laughter from the room behind me sounded so sharp and piercing.
Daxon knew perfectly well that I had a problem with him playing romantic storylines with other girls.
He’d pay lip service to worrying about me getting mad, but he never actually turned other girls down. Simply because he was dead certain that no matter how angry I got, I’d never actually break up with him.
This time though, he was wrong.
That night, Aria posted on Instagram.
[First time playing murder mystery-turns out growing old together is such a romantic thing. Thanks for healing me tonight with just one evening. I used to think there was nothing left in this world worth living for, but now I have a dream I want to chase.]
The photo was a group shot-in an inconspicuous corner, two hands were interlocked.
1 solied through the screen and saw Daxon’s comment.
[Don’t be so pessimistic. There’s still so much beauty in this world waiting for us.)
I locked my phone and knocked on my dad’s office door.
“Dad, I want to apply to Stanford University,”
He stopped working, closed his laptop, and gestured for me to sit down and talk.
“What made you suddenly change your mind? I thought you were set on going to NYU with that Sterling boy,”
“Dad, isn’t your firm expanding to Palo Alto? I want to be closer to you. Also, 1 really love beaches there.”
Dad could see the disappointment written all over my face, but he didn’t call me out on it.
3
“I support you completely. Putting your future first is never wrong. I was actually worried about you being so far from me for the first time in your life-wasn’t sure I could handle it. Now I’m totally at peace with it.”
Looking at my dad’s adoring expression, I knew I was making the right choice.
