After He Cheated

After dating my best friend's brother in secret for a year, I was finally ready to go public on his birthday.

The day before his birthday, I went with my best friend to deliver lunch to him.

But the moment we got there, I saw him holding hands with the campus belle. I clenched my fists.

"My brother's got game, huh? Snagged the campus queen just like that," my best friend said.

I forced a bitter smile. "Hubert and his girlfriend do make a great couple."

1

When Jace Ashton, my bestie, and I reached Hubert Ashton's lab, the latter just happened to walk out.

Leaning casually against the wall, he lit a cigarette and stared at his phone.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I glanced down. A text from him, "Just finished my experiment."

Looking at how tired he looked, my heart ached.

Graduation was coming up, and the pressure of his thesis had been intense.

I was relieved to see him taking a break—I didn't want to disturb his studies more than necessary.

Clutching the lunchbox in my hands, I was about to go over when Jace yanked me behind a tree.

The lab door opened, and Rosanna Carter—the campus belle—walked out and straight toward Hubert.

She was wearing a white pleated skirt and gave him a sweet, tiltedhead smile.

Jace shook my arm wildly, exclaiming, "Aaaaah, Valerie, are they… like, a thing?"

No, they weren't. Because the one who was with him… was me.

Hubert and I had been together for a year.

A secret relationship, sure—but he treated me well. Things had been getting serious.

I repeated that to myself like a prayer.

And then… he stubbed out his cigarette the moment Rosanna showed up.

He had been a smoker for years.

I had begged him to quit for his health, whining and coaxing, but he never budged.

He knew how much I hated the smell of smoke and never even tried to hide it from me.

But now, in front of Rosanna, he put it out instantly.

She gave him a playful smack, and he held her hand, fingers interlocked.

2

I suddenly lost the courage to go forward.

But Jace, oblivious, dragged me out from behind the tree.

"Wow, Hubert! Hiding a relationship from us, huh?" she said.

His face froze for a split second when he saw us, but then shifted to annoyance.

"Why didn't you say you were coming?"

He didn't let go of Rosanna's hand. In fact, he held it tighter.

"Well, Valerie's mom made something good and insisted we bring it to you," Jace said.

Hubert looked down at the lunchbox in my hands, and suddenly, it felt like it was burning.

It wasn't my mom's cooking. I had spent the whole afternoon in the kitchen making it myself.

I had never cooked a single meal in my life, and now my fingers were still bandaged from the effort.

I had lied and said it was my mom's so Jace wouldn't get suspicious.

Rosanna nestled against Hubert's chest and said sweetly, "But Hubert and I already made plans to go out for buffalo wings tonight."

I loved buffalo wings—fiery, saucy, and burning with heat.

But Hubert couldn't handle spicy food. To suit his taste, we always ordered the blandest dishes whenever we ate out.

Even the lunch I made today was just plain baked salmon—nothing spicy.

He pressed his lips together, silent. The moment grew awkward.

Jace quickly jumped in to ease the tension, "It's fine, you two go ahead. I'll eat the lunch!"

"So… how long have you two been together?" she added curiously.

Rosanna ducked shyly behind him as she replied, "Just about a month."

So I had been kept in the dark for a whole month.

Jace turned to me in surprise, "He's really something—bagged the campus belle just like that!"

Rosanna waved her hands. "He actually chased me for almost a year…"

Almost a year? It had been a year since he took my hand after his last birthday and, blushing, asked, "Wanna give this a shot?"

Over that year, I stayed up late helping him study, spent nights talking with him until dawn on the phone.

He took me to a concert and smiled as he said he would propose to me in a place like that one day.

While I was lost in dreams of a future with him, he was getting cozy with Rosanna behind my back.

All those nights when he said goodnight and told me he was sleepy… was he actually busy coaxing her to sleep?

I stood there dazed, as Jace cheerfully shook my arm. "Hubert's really killing it!"

My mind was a mess. I could barely hear my own trembling voice, "Yeah… Hubert and his girlfriend really are a perfect match."

The two of them stood side by side—top student and campus queen. Much more of a match than he and I had ever been.

They laughed and chatted while Hubert occasionally chimed in, all doting attention directed at Rosanna.

"Be nice—don't scare Rosanna," he said.

"Don't tell her all my embarrassing stories from when I was a kid," he said.

"Are you hungry? Want me to take you to eat first?" he said.

...

I couldn't hear anything anymore. In a haze, Jace pulled me away.

Behind us, the couple kept flirting.

"You promised to quit smoking and still sneak one in? I'm ignoring you," Rosanna said.

"My bad, my bad—I just couldn't help it. I swear I'll quit for good now," Hubert promised.

So it was not that he couldn't quit smoking..

He just didn't want to quit for someone he didn't love.

3

The next day was Hubert's birthday.

We had originally planned to go public with our relationship at his birthday party—tell his friends and family everything.

When we first started dating, it was his idea to keep it a secret.

"Our families are too close, and you're so tight with my sister. It'd just be weird if people knew," he said.

I believed him. So I agreed to wait until things were stable between us before going public.

About a month ago, I had looked at him with anticipation and said, "Your birthday's coming up. Let's make it official then."

He smiled, patting my head, and agreed.

Then… he got busy, buried in lab work.

He barely texting except for the occasional "Good morning" and "Good night."

With dark circles under my eyes after a sleepless night, I looked at the gift I had spent so long preparing.

It was a game console I had bought with money from my parttime jobs.

He loved gaming. I thought maybe, once this busy stretch passed, we could play together.

It looked like that wasn't going to happen anymore.

I flopped facefirst onto my pillow.

Then my phone rang. It was Hubert.

His first call to me since yesterday afternoon.

"Are you coming to my birthday dinner tonight?" he asked.

I gave a bitter little laugh. "What do you think?"

There was a long silence. Then, finally, he spoke—soft, careful, "Valerie, I do want you to come. I mean… in my heart, you and Jace are the same. You're both my sisters."

A whole year of dating, and all I got in the end… was "sister."

He didn't really call to invite me.

He called to inform me that we were done.

Or maybe we were never even real.

Honestly, I kind of admired how smart he was about it. As long as no one ever knew about us, breaking up was easy.

Like now. Not even a proper goodbye.

What a joke.

I forced a light tone into my voice. "Sure, I'll be there."

"Rosanna will be there too, so you…"

"I know. Don't worry. I won't say a thing."

He exhaled with relief on the other end of the line—like he had finally gotten something off his chest.

I didn't understand how someone who called me baby just two days ago could now treat me like a burden.

I sighed, picked up the carefully wrapped gift box, and put on some makeup before heading out the door.

4

The party was at a hotel near campus. Tons of his classmates and friends were there.

I didn't recognize a single one of them. He had never introduced me to any of them.

But Rosanna knew them all well. They joked with her, calling her "Mrs. Ashton" like it was already official.

From the bits of conversation I caught, I pieced together their love story.

Apparently, Hubert had liked her for a long time.

But she was always so cold and hard to approach. He never had the chance to get close.

Until almost a year ago, when they ended up under the same professor for a research project. That was when they started to grow closer.

Rosanna blushed as people teased them. Hubert stood beside her, smiling, shielding her from drinks being passed around.

It had been half an hour since I arrived.

He still hadn't looked at me once.

We had grown up together. He knew me well that I wasn't the type to make a scene and embarrass him in public.

And he was right. What could I say? That I had been his secret girlfriend for a year and got dumped for the campus belle? That wouldn't make me look good either.

Bitterness churned in my chest as I downed one cocktail after another. Jace tried to stop me, but I kept going.

By the time my brain turned to mush, she sighed and said, "Wait here. I'll run to the bathroom and take you home after."

She had barely left when I got up and walked out on my own.

I never imagined the day I looked forward to most would turn out to be this excruciating.

Right now, I didn't want to talk. I didn't want anyone around me.

Across the street was a busy wings joint packed with people. The last time I had been there was over a year ago.

Suddenly, I really wanted buffalo wings.

5

I steadied my spinning head and asked the server for a table.

The server gave me an apologetic smile. "Sorry, it's peak hours, and you're solo. Might be better to come back later."

I looked around—groups of friends, couples, clusters of people. Not a single other solo diner.

I stood out like a sore thumb.

Still, I hadn't eaten or drunk anything all day. I needed those wings.

At that moment, everything just felt wrong—boyfriend cheated on me, and now I couldn't even get a table for dinner.

What a cosmic joke.

Then I noticed a guy sitting alone at a small outdoor table.

He was eating slowly, deliberately.

The logo on the back of his black hoodie was from our school's law department.

Same school? Not bad. Maybe I could ask to share his table.

I steadied myself and, with the confidence that only alcohol can provide, walked over, leaned down, and asked, "Hey handsome, are you by yourself?"

The guy didn't even look up. "Not giving out my socials."

I waved my hands quickly. "No, not that. I'm alone too. The place is packed and they won't seat me—mind if I share your table?"

I added, "We're both from the same school, right? Don't worry, no matter how much you've eaten, I'll split the bill with you."

He finally looked up, eyeing me suspiciously.

That was when I really saw his face.

Yep. Definitely a hottie. And in our techheavy school, guys this goodlooking were practically mythical.

With the alcohol in my system, he looked so good I nearly lost my balance and faceplanted into the plate.

He caught my arm just in time.

One plate fell to the ground, but nothing else was harmed.

He glanced down at the spilled food and frowned. "You're paying for that."

I nodded quickly. "Totally fair."

I sat across from him and finally took a bite of those buffalo wings I hadn't had in forever, drenched in ranch and hot sauce. They were so good I almost cried.

In that moment, across the street, Hubert was probably happy too.

I sniffled and wiped my swollen eyes.

Who said only sneezes and secret glances would give you away when you liked someone?

Sometimes, it was tears you couldn't hold back.

I hadn't even swallowed the first bite before I started crying loudly.

The guy across from me stared, then silently slid a napkin across the table.

And that was how the meal went—me crying and stuffing wings in my mouth, and him quietly passing me napkins while dipping his fries in ketchup.

The alcohol didn't really hit me until I was almost done eating.

Suddenly, it looked like there were three handsome guys sitting across from me.

Even the chicken wings on my plate looked like they were multiplying.

The world spun, and somewhere in that haze, I thought I heard my phone ringing.

It was the ringtone — that song Hubert loved the most.

I closed my eyes, and my head slumped down onto the table.

Through the fog, I vaguely felt a cool, slender hand reach across and move my dipping sauce bowl out of the way.

The guy across from me let out a soft sigh, then picked up the phone I had left on the table.

I shut my eyes completely and heard nothing after that.

When I woke up again, I was surrounded by Jace's panicked voice.

Hubert stood nearby, his face dark and stormy.

Rosanna looked off too — her eyes flicked back and forth between me and the guy sitting across the table.

That guy's voice was low and clear as spring water, "She's really drunk. You should probably take her home."

The rest was a blur. Jace hauled me out of there and got me back to my apartment.

The next morning, she grilled me, "How did you end up eating hot wings with Colin last night?"

Colin? I had never heard of him.

"Do you know him?" I asked.

"You serious? He's the campus heartthrob over in the law school. Total trust fund baby. Girls line up to try and date him."

She leaned in, whispering, "Rumor has it Rosanna had a thing for him back when she first started college."

That's when I suddenly remembered Hubert had mentioned someone like that before.

He said there was this pretentious freshman in the neighboring school who drove a different car to campus every day.

He also said that the guy didn't even look that good, so he couldn't figure out why all the girls in his major were obsessed with this guy.

Looking back now, that girl in his major had to be Rosanna.

At the time, I still had him up on a pedestal, and I believed every word he said without question.

But now, his words was obviously just out of jealousy.

Because Colin Rogers was indeed handsome, with bright eyes, and a kind of clean, unbothered energy only someone young and confident could carry.

When Jace hoisted me off that little patio stool, he stood up to pay the bill. The guy was over six feet tall.

His legs practically came up to my chest.

And just like that, I remembered that I never paid him back for dinner.

7

I fumbled around under my pillow and pulled out my phone. At the top of my chats, one message sat pinned.

It was from Hubert — still marked as a priority.

"Are you feeling any better?" he asked.

He had always had this rule that I wasn't allowed to drink when we went out.

"You're a girl. Don't learn bad habits. At parties, I'll drink for you," he said back then.

But that night, I didn't see him stopping me. I only saw him taking drinks on behalf of his new, official girlfriend.

I swallowed the bitterness, forcing my fingers to stay steady as I typed, "Thanks for checking in, but there's no need."

A typing bubble appeared almost instantly. He hesitated for a while before sending, "I'm just concerned as your big brother. No matter what, I hope you're okay."

The Hubert I remembered was the boy who, at seven, got my favorite toy back from another kid… who, at thirteen, helped me prank the boy who used to pick on me… and who, at nineteen, patiently taught me math and physics, no matter how many times I didn't get it.

This past year, he had been a pretty decent boyfriend.

The version of him I held in my memory was so good, it made it almost impossible to accept that I had misjudged him so badly.

I stared at that message for a long time. And then, something inside me finally let go.

I tapped "Unfriend," and deleted every message we had ever exchanged, along with all those little memories I used to treasure, the ones I once thought were worth printing and saving like a scrapbook of love.

Just like this relationship he dismissed with a casual "you're like a little sister," it was all gone with a single swipe with no trace left behind.

8

After class one day, I lingered near the law building nearby, hoping to catch a glimpse of Colin.

I wasn't even sure I would run into him.

"Looking for someone?"

A cool voice sounded behind me.

Colin Rogers.

Honestly, last time I was way too drunk to really remember much, other than the vague impression that he was goodlooking.

But now, seeing him in broad daylight, standing there with sharp features glowing under the sun—he looked even better than I remembered.

I awkwardly walked up to him and said, "Uh… do you remember me? From that buffalo wings night?"

He looked down at me and chuckled. "Yeah, I remember. What's up?"

"How much was the food?" I asked.

"No idea," he said.

"What about your payment history?"

"Deleted it."

"Huh? Then what am I supposed to do?"

"Just treat me to lunch and call it even."

Then he walked away without another word, his broad shoulders and slim waist fading into the distance.

I stood there, frozen.

He glanced back, "Well? You coming or what?"

I scrambled to catch up with him like an obedient puppy.

It was still early, so the wing place wasn't too busy and there was no line.

We had only just sat down when Hubert and Rosanna walked in together, arms linked.

He froze for a second when he saw me, but quickly composed himself.

Rosanna, on the other hand, didn't look thrilled.

She walked up and greeted, "Oh wow, you guys are eating here too? Could we join"

I had never actually talked to her before. I only knew about her from what Jace had said that she was the sweet innocent type in the department.

Hubert had mentioned her once, too, just briefly. He said she was a junior their advisor had asked him to look after.

But Rosanna wasn't talking to me when she said that—she was looking directly at Colin.

Colin raised an eyebrow at me, like he was checking if I was cool with it.

Hubert stood there, visibly uneasy, eyes flicking between his girlfriend and Colin.

I gave a breezy nod, slid out from across the table, and plopped down next to Colin—clearing a spot for the happy couple.

9

Rosanna glanced at the menu and asked, "Is allspicy okay?"

Hubert smiled and replied, "Whatever you want."

When you really liked someone, you were willing to change your tastes for them.

I used to live for spice, but for him, I stuck to plain wings.

And now, he was willing to brave the blazing heat of buffalo sauce—for her.

I zoned out. Colin waved his pen in front of my face, snapping me back.

He tilted his head toward me. "You want wings?"

I nodded.

He scribbled down a couple more orders, muttering, "Didn't get a single bite last time. You snatched them straight outta the basket."

I winced. "Then… order a few extra this time?"

He scoffed. "You didn't get heartburn? That stuff looked way too spicy."

Rosanna perked up with interest. "You two seem pretty close."

Which was weird, considering it was only the second time we had met.

But somehow, the way Colin spoke to me did feel like we had known each other for years.

Hubert cut in coldly, "They're not. They didn't even know each other before this."

His tone was sharp.

Colin, who had been focused on the menu, looked up slowly, his gaze settling on Hubert with deliberate calm.

It was as if he was trying to decipher something unspoken between me and Hubert.

Rosanna quickly changed the topic, saying, "Oh, but Colin and I kind of know each other. We were in the same campus club."

"Not really," he replied flatly. "Barely met twice."

Rosanna's smile froze on her face. The table fell into a silence so awkward it was practically humming.

Colin didn't sugarcoat things. And clearly, Hubert couldn't stand him.

It was such a bizarre setup.

Hubert sat beside his official girlfriend. Across from him? His secret girlfriend of one year.

Rosanna sat next to her perfect, straightA boyfriend. Across from her? The guy she once had a crush on.

I buried my head in my plate, determined to power through my wings and get this weird meal over with.

When the couple got up to use the restroom, Colin leaned toward me out of nowhere and asked, "So. You like him?"

I thought I had hidden it well. But clearly not well enough.

I shrugged, feigning indifference. "Nope."

He tilted his head against the booth, smiling lazily. "Wanna mess with him a little?"

10

"The girl next to him once confessed to me. If I so much as crook a finger, she'd come running. That's your chance to swoop in," Colin said.

That line made my stomach turn. It felt like an insult to me.

Even though I was still deep in withdrawal from how abruptly that relationship ended, I knew one thing for sure that no matter how perfect I once thought Hubert was, he was just a twotiming jerk now.

In other words, I was just a lovestruck idiot who woke up.

I shot him a sharp glare. "Don't talk like you know everything. She has a boyfriend."

"Oh, so you do know she has a boyfriend."

He sat up straight, the smirk wiped from his face. "So why are you into a guy who's already taken, when there's plenty of single ones out there?"

That hit me like a slap—clean, sudden, and sobering.

Right, there are way too many guys in this world to be stuck on Hubert.

And this is a STEM school! It shouldn't be that hard to find another decent, goodlooking dude.

I nodded seriously at him. "You're right."

He rubbed his nose. "Well, I'm also—"

Right then, the lovebirds came back and cut him off.

The vibe between them had changed. It looked like they had just had a fight.

Rosanna's eyes were slightly red, and Hubert's expression wasn't much better.

She forced a smile. "Sorry, something came up. We've gotta head out."

After they left, I inhaled two more plates of wings like a vacuum cleaner.

Colin whistled beside me. "You're officially my new wings buddy now."

I chewed with my mouth full. "Why?"

"You eat like a champ. Makes me hungry just watching."

I was speechless.

11

So Colin really did become my goto wings buddy.

At first it was just because I had seen him eating alone last time and figured he didn't have many friends. It looked kind of pitiful.

Besides, he was seriously easy on the eyes. Watching him gave me an appetite.

We started grabbing wings together every week.

And the more we ate, the more I realized that we were wing soulmates. We never argued over orders, always on the same page.

Sometimes, I had latenight electives and didn't get out until eight or nine.

He had just show up outside the lecture hall waiting, drawing stares left and right.

Jace teased me, "Something going on between you and Colin?"

I denied it right away.

She nodded thoughtfully, "Yeah, makes sense. A guy Rosanna couldn't even get? No way someone like you could."

I rolled my eyes hard.

"But my brother and she haven't really been talking lately. I think they're fighting," she said.

Hubert and I used to fight too, but I had always be the one to patch things up.

But he worked so hard to win her over, and he should be the one making the first move now.

Lately, Hubert has been texting me all the time—good morning, good night, have you eaten—the whole routine. Honestly, even more than when we were actually dating.

I told him multiple times to stop contacting me. But it didn't work.

So I just blocked him, peace and quiet at last.

That day, after Colin and I finished up our usual wings run, it was almost 10.

He offered to drive me home, and I didn't refuse.

We were close now. We even bickered midmeal like an old married couple sometimes.

His mouth ran nonstop, like a little cannon—once he got going, our wings sessions lasted two, three hours easy.

To this day, I still couldn't figure out how he earned that "untouchable prince" reputation.

But the moment I saw his sleek matteblack coupe, I got it. No wonder Hubert called him flashy.

Yeah... it was flashy.

Even with the top up, it screamed rich boy energy.

The engine roared all the way to my building. I was just about to hop out when he suddenly stopped me.

"Hey, I want to tell you something... "

He looked hesitant, way more awkward than usual.

I turned to face him, skeptical. Under the streetlight, I could swear his cheeks and ears were turning red.

We had mediumspicy wings tonight. Was this dude really getting flushed from that?

I shot him a look of sympathy. "Dude, if spicy's not your thing, just say so. Next time we'll do mild. I got you."

His face somehow turned even redder.

12

A knock on the car window snapped me out of it.

I turned my head. Hubert was bending down to look at me, clearly annoyed.

It had been almost a month since I last saw him.

Even when Jace invited me over for dinner at their place, I found every excuse to dodge it.

Beside me, Colin suddenly leaned in, a little too close for comfort.

He smelled fresh and clean, a crisp kind of scent that made my mind go blank for a second.

"You getting out?" he asked.

I could feel his breath brushing against my cheek, warm and steady.

I nodded.

We were already downstairs. I couldn't just avoid going home just because I ran into Hubert.

Colin pressed his lips together, then reached across me, his strong arm brushing my side as he unbuckled my seatbelt.

Okay, whoa—being wing buddies definitely doesn't cover this kind of service.

I could hear my heart skip a beat.

He chuckled softly. "Go on. I'll pick you up Monday morning."

As I stepped out of the car, the summer night breeze swept across my face, cooling me off a little.

I reached up and realized my cheeks were burning.

"You really blocked me?" Hubert's voice hit me like a cold splash of water.

After all the time we had spent together, this might've been the first time he ever waited for me downstairs at my place.

He used to say it wouldn't look good if my parents saw him.

Now, looking at the pile of cigarette butts near his feet, I had no idea how long he had been waiting.

In the past, I probably would've run up and thrown my arms around him.

But now, I just gave a cold laugh and said, "You've got a girlfriend. You think it's appropriate to be texting me every day?"

He froze, speechless, then tried to deflect.

"So… what's going on between you and that Colin?"

I didn't understand what he was getting at.

This whole past year, I had been kept in the dark, living in the illusion he gave me.

Only to find out in the end that I was just the backup player who never got to be on the court.

I trained harder than the starting lineup, but I was never allowed to be seen, never given any applause.

Worse of all, I was expected to sit on the sidelines and cheer them on.

And somehow, I had come to terms with it.

But now, it seemed like he couldn't.

I gave him a sideways glance and asked, irritated, "What's it got to do with you?"

I had never spoken to him like that before. His eyes turned red at the corners from frustration.

"Colin is not a good guy. You shouldn't get involved with him," he said.

"What, you think you're some good guy?" I shot back. "You twotimed me, called me your damn sister, and now you're standing here trying to act like some kind of alpha? Get over yourself, Hubert. You're scum."

After hanging out with Colin, my comebacks had seriously leveled up.

The words hit hard. Hubert just stood there, stunned.

I brushed past him, ready to go upstairs.

"Valerie, I regret it," he said, his voice hoarse, so much so that it made me stop in my tracks.

But only for a second. Then I walked away without looking back.

13

Something was off with Colin lately.

He had been showing up to my elective classes more and more often.

And he was hitting me up for food all the time lately.

Sometimes, he would even poke me in the back with his pen during lectures.

"There's this spot on Maple Ave doing crazy chili dogs. Wanna check it out after class?"

"Our cook made some homemade gumbo. Want me to bring you some?"

He kept going on like that, saying all kinds of things.

With our joint efforts, I had gained almost ten pounds over the past two months. My belly was starting to look like I was wearing an inner tube.

And him? Still slim in clothes and—well, I hadn't seen him without clothes.

But I could guess that he was definitely still fit.

I spun around and glared at him. "No. I'm not eating. Go away."

He shrank back, pouting in silence.

Jace jabbed me with her elbow. "Are you seriously having a thing with him now? My brother and the campus belle broke up. He told me he wants to ask you out."

She blinked at me expectantly, like she was waiting for a big reveal.

She still didn't know everything that had gone down between me and Hubert.

I sighed. "Hubert's great, but… I don't like him."

What I didn't expect was for her to tell Hubert that immediately.

Right after class, I got cornered by Hubert outside the classroom.

He sent Jace off and dragged me into a quiet stairwell.

"Jace said you don't like me. I don't believe her. We used to be so close, and you liked me so much. How could that just vanish? Being with her made me realize something… That year with you, you were already filling up that place in my heart bit by bit. Valerie, we can start over. We can go back to the way things were," he said.

Hubert knew exactly how much I used to like him. So he kept pushing, milking that for all it was worth.

He genuinely believed I would be waiting for him forever.

But I wouldn't. Not anymore. Because he didn't deserve me.

He got all emotional, gripping my shoulders like we were in some tragic drama.

I was just about to shake him off and laugh in his face when a low chuckle came from the top of the stairs.

A familiar voice.

Colin peeked his fluffy head over the railing, looking down with mock curiosity.

"Sorry, couldn't help overhearing. Hey, whoever you are… mind letting go of my girlfriend?"

14

Colin lazily slid both hands into his pockets and strolled down the stairs like he owned the place.

Then, suddenly, he pulled me into his arms.

Pressed against his chest, I could feel his warmth spreading through my back, making my whole body flush.

Hubert didn't believe it. His eyes red as he asked me, "Is what he said true?"

I nodded blankly.

Colin, taller than Hubert, glanced down at him with a mocking smirk, "I'm taking her out to eat. You gonna be a third wheel, or what?"

I had never seen Hubert look so broken—his eyes vacant, his whole body slumped.

He walked away like a ghost.

I broke free from Colin's arms, my heart pounding wildly.

He bent down to me, with his voice carrying a hint of frustrated affection, "Valerie, look at you! Acting like a badass in front of me, yet somehow you're still getting treated like that?"

Well, except for sneaking cilantro into his bowl, wiping his clothes with freshly washed hands, and stealing that adorable little bear keychain off his backpack, I wasn't exactly a badass.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I looked down and nervously picked at my shirt with my nails.

He gently grabbed my wrist to stop me, sighing, "You usually seem sharp as a tack, but you got played for a whole year and didn't say a word—just bottled everything up to deal with it yourself."

Hearing that, I couldn't hold back anymore. My lips trembled and tears welled up.

I felt so crushed, damn it.

Flustered, Colin patted my back while awkwardly wiping my tears away.

He finally mentioned that he had brought me gumbo, saying it was delicious and would get cold if I didn't eat it soon. Only then did I manage to stop crying.

I looked up into his eyes, deep and tender, like they held a billion stars.

Jace was right— Colin's gaze was so full of affection, he could probably look at a dog that way.

I almost got lost in it, but I shook my head hard to clear my messy thoughts.

Then he cupped my face with both hands, looking me over while asking, "What's wrong? Are you feeling okay?"

His sudden touch startled me so much I stumbled over my words, "Nno, I'm fine."

He smiled and said, "Well then, how about actually being my girlfriend?"

15

That was how I ended up becoming Colin's girlfriend, openly and officially.

Jace went wild praising me.

"Didn't expect this, Valerie. No wonder you didn't like Hubert—turns out you're into Colin instead," she said.

Colin would hold my hand in front of everyone, proudly introducing me to his friends without hiding it.

Half a month later, he brought me to a department party.

A few classmates stared at me for a while and then asked him, "Isn't this the clumsy girl from boot camp? You really like that type, huh?"

I had been clumsy during boot camp, even singled out for extra training by the instructors.

Could Colin have known me back then?

He cleared his throat sharply and cut them off, "I'm buying tonight. Save the gossip for later, just dig in."

He wrapped an arm around me, telling me not to drink because I had to be the one driving later.

He was in a great mood that night, got pretty drunk, and ended up flopping onto the passenger seat, all sticky and reaching out for a hug.

I pushed him away—men like him were only a danger to safe driving.

When we got to his place, I parked and took a long look at his face.

His eyelashes were long when his eyes closed, casting a thick shadow underneath.

His lips were thin and kissable.

But I had more important things to do.

Drunk people were the best source for getting information.

I ruffled his hair—a rare treat, since I usually have to stand on tiptoe just to reach it. It was soft and fluffy, like petting a puppy.

"Why did they call me Clumsy Valerie?"

He opened his eyes, a little dazed.

"Clumsy is cute," he replied.

His red lips parted slightly. I couldn't resist leaning in and kissing him.

He wasn't that drunk after all. He grabbed the back of my head and flipped the script.

16

One night, after I had said goodnight to Colin and was about to sleep, Jace called me.

"Valerie, can you come over? Hubert's drunk and insists on seeing you."

I sighed, changed, and headed out.

Lately, Hubert found every chance to meet me. Either Jace would invite me for dinner, or he would come to my place delivering things from their mom.

Since we would keep running into each other, and Jace and I were still friends, it was better to be upfront for everyone's sake.

At the bar, I found Hubert sprawled on the couch, mumbling my name.

Jace was beside him, apologizing to me nonstop.

"Is he of his mind? I told him you have a boyfriend, and he's still drinking like it's the end of the world," she explained.

Hubert suddenly sat up, grabbed me tightly, and asked, "Is there really no chance? It's okay, Valerie, if you break up with him, we can go back to how things were."

Jace was dumbfounded, "What does that even mean?"

I took a deep breath and told her everything.

For the first time, I openly talked about something that had been really painful.

Jace was silent at first, then she kicked the unconscious Hubert hard before hugging me and crying.

Hubert also collapsed on the couch, crying and shouting, "Why can't we go back? We've known each other for so many years. Why does it mean less than his few months with you?"

Before, I would have snapped back, questioning why the one at fault would think they could deserve forgiveness.

But now, I just felt there was no point arguing.

Jace and I managed to get him into a cab.

At my building, Jace held Hubert back when he tried to grab me and said with a sniffle, "Valerie, our family has wronged you. Don't worry, Hubert will never bother you again. But please still consider me your best friend, okay?"

I smiled and nodded, waving goodbye to her.

It was already dawn after a long night. I just wanted to complain to Colin about how exhausted I was.

I pulled out my phone and texted him a "Good morning."

"Good morning? Are you seriously getting back with him, Valerie?"

17

When I looked up, I saw him standing there, face clouded, holding a bag of breakfast.

He must have seen me getting out of the cab, with Hubert still in it.

No matter what I said now, it would sound like an excuse.

I waved my hands frantically. "It's not what it looks like, I swear! Jace called me over. He was drunk and—"

"So what if he was drunk?" Colin cut me off, frowning.

"He made his own bed. Just because he regrets it now doesn't mean you owe him anything. Since when does the victim have to pity the one who hurt them?"

I lowered my head and pouted, not daring to argue.

He kept ranting, looking like a scruffy little lion with his fur all puffed up.

Honestly, he seemed even angrier about what I had been through than I was.

I stepped closer and hugged him gently.

His body stiffened at first, then he let out a quiet sigh. His voice softened as he said, "Don't do that again, okay?"

I buried my face in his chest and nodded firmly.

"Colin, I think I like you more and more every day."

He gave a soft scoff and hugged me tighter. "Doesn't matter. I still like you more."

It wasn't until much later that I found out that back when I was still starryeyed, worshipping someone else from afar, there was already a pair of eyes quietly watching me for a long, long time.

And I had been grateful ever since to that version of myself—the one who, that day, just wanted buffalo wings.

18 Colin's Secret

During freshman boot camp, there was this girl in the class next door.

She had blunt bangs and wore her cap so low you could barely see her face, just the round curve of her chin peeking out, like a doll's.

She kept getting singled out by the instructor because her marching was always out of sync.

The guy next to me was laughing so hard he was nearly falling over. "She's hilarious. Such a clumsy queen."

But I just keep watching her awkward movements. "She's kinda cute," I said.

At one point she stopped, clearly holding her stomach, and raised her hand weakly, "Sir, I had hot wings last night... I think I need the bathroom."

The whole group burst out laughing.

After that, I kept running into her at the wings' place near campus.

She could seriously eat, plate after plate.

Her cheeks would already be full, but she could still manage to shovel in more. It was like watching a bottomless pit go to work.

I thought, eating hot wings with someone like her would be the best thing ever.

That was probably when I started liking wings too.

But later, I never saw her at there again.

Every now and then I would spot her on campus, trailing behind a guy from the chemistry department.

She always stayed a few steps behind, but her eyes never left him.

I had seen that guy before.

In the club, there was a girl whose name I never knew who often brought me water. I had also seen him picking her up and dropping her off at the campus gate.

So not only was she crushing on someone, she was crushing on someone worse than me.

No wonder she was a clumsy idiot.

I had got used to eating wings alone.

That night, I was in the middle of dinner when someone behind me asked, "Hey handsome, are you by yourself?"

I was so used to girls trying to hit on me, I gave my usual cold shoulder.

But I misread the situation. She just wanted to share the table.

When I looked up, her eyes and nose were all red from crying.

Still very cute.

The end.