Chapter 2

That night, I drove out to the bar near campus.

Three years since graduation and the bartender still recognized me. He grinned. "The usual?"

I nodded and slid into a booth in the corner.

That's when I heard the voices.

I glanced over. The next table had three people—two guys, one girl—deep in conversation. I knew them. Ethan's friends from college. I'd met them a few times. Never close.

The girl picked up a fry, her voice buzzing with excitement.

"So Ethan actually gave his new place to Celine? Like, seriously?"

One of the guys took a pull from his beer and shook his head.

"Yeah. Celine mentioned it this morning. Said Ethan was dropping the keys off tonight, she's moving in tomorrow."

"See, I told you—he never got over her. If Celine hadn't broken it off back then, he wouldn't be with what's-her-name now."

The other guy jumped in. "God, they were so good together. Everyone thought they'd be the ones who made it."

"The night Celine left, Ethan drank himself sick. After that he changed his phone passcode to her birthday. Still has it, far as I know."

"You really think he's over her?"

The girl leaned in. "For real?"

"Dead serious. Celine's birthday, 0912. Ethan's had that as his passcode for years. You didn't know?"

Something clicked in her face.

"That's why he's so weird about anyone touching his phone. Now it makes sense."

The glass nearly slid out of my hand. It hit the table with a sharp little clink.

1.

That really was his passcode.

I'd never once thought those four numbers were another woman's birthday.

He'd been locking his phone with her birthday for three years, and I'd been right beside him the whole time, oblivious.

The girl dropped her voice. "But that's insane, right? It's their wedding apartment. His fiancée actually agreed to this?"

The guy snorted.

"What's she gonna do? Doesn't sound like she cares that much about him anyway. If she did, she wouldn't just hand over their home. Why even get married at that point?"

"Besides—Celine's sweet, easy to be around. Way better than her."

I grabbed a napkin and wiped a splash of wine off my hand.

The voices at the next table kept going, but I stopped catching the words. The TV above the bar was playing a game and the noise swallowed everything.

My phone lit up. A text from Ethan.

Dropped the keys off. Celine says thanks, wants to take you to dinner sometime.

You hungry? Want me to grab you something on the way home?

I didn't answer.

The girl at the next table happened to glance my way. She nudged the guy next to her. All three heads turned at once.

She gave an awkward little laugh. "Oh… June? Wow, small world. Didn't know you were here."

I smiled at her. "Sounds like you were having a good time."

Just then the door chimed. Someone came in.

I looked up.

Ethan. And a woman walking in with him.

She was the same woman standing next to him in the college photo on his desktop wallpaper. His ex. Celine.

Ethan spotted me in the corner and froze.

"June? What are you doing here?"

Celine walked straight over, smiling.

"You must be June? Ethan talks about you all the time."

"I can't thank you enough for today. I really didn't have any other options, and you guys are just saving me—"

Her eyes started welling up.

"Don't worry, the second I find a place, I'm out. I don't want to be in your hair any longer than I have to."

"And the apartment is beautiful—Ethan said you put so much into it, honestly I feel bad even staying there…"

Every word out of her mouth made something in my chest twist tighter.

I cut her off.

"Celine—why don't I just sign the place over to you? Permanent residency. It's yours."