Chapter 3

"Tara, let me in."

The next evening, Nathan stood at Tara's doorstep, holding a white paper bag.

Tara blocked the door.

"She doesn't want to see you."

"I know she's angry." He smiled. "Just let me in to say a couple of words, then I'll leave."

"Say what? That you didn't even mention her name in your Ins post?"

Nathan's smile faltered for a moment.

"Tara, this is between Summer and me."

"You two have already broken up. Don't bother Summer anymore."

I walked to the door and pressed down on Tara's arm.

"Tara, let him in. I'll talk to him face-to-face."

Tara stepped aside, her gaze cold as she looked Nathan up and down. He changed his shoes and placed the paper bag on the table.

It was a box of cake.

"Your favorite chestnut cake. I didn't get a chance to give it to you yesterday."

I didn't open it.

He sat opposite me.

"Summer, what exactly do you want me to do?"

"I told you, break up."

His brows furrowed.

"You're breaking up over a dress?"

"It's not about a dress."

"Then what is it about?" He clasped his hands on the table, a posture identical to every time I'd thrown a fit before, cooperative and patient, waiting for me to finish speaking.

"Last year, for your birthday, I booked a restaurant two months in advance. Before we left, Chloe called saying she had a stomachache, so you drove to her place first."

"She was alone then. What if something happened?"

"You got there and found out she'd just eaten too much, and then you spent the whole evening watching TV with her, while I waited alone at the restaurant until closing time."

He paused.

"Didn't I apologize for that? I even bought you a necklace."

"You bought her the same necklace, didn't you?"

"She was just feeling down at the time..."

"She's always feeling down." My voice was low, yet strangely steady. "When is she not feeling down?"

Nathan fell silent.

"Last month, on your business trip, you made me take a taxi to the airport by myself. Because you had to drive Chloe to move into her new apartment."

He opened his mouth. "She had a lot of bags..."

"You gave her the special blanket from our home. The one my mom sent from back home."

"That one was old. I'll buy you a new one."

"That was my blanket! My mom spent a week knitting it with her reading glasses on, and she packed it in three layers when she sent it, afraid the stitches would get damaged on the way."

The room grew quiet.

Tara stood by the kitchen door, her knuckles white.

I didn't cry.

Before, I would cry, my eyes red, asking him why, then choosing to forgive him after he said, "I was wrong."

But this time, I was just so tired.

"Summer." Nathan's voice deepened, tinged with subtle disappointment. "I always thought you were different from them."

"Them?"

"Those who fuss over every little thing." He frowned, looking at me earnestly.

"I thought you understood me. Chloe has no one else to rely on. You have me, you have your family, you lack nothing... What's wrong with me taking care of her a little more?"

He spoke sincerely, every word from the heart.

"You have everything, can't you just let someone who has nothing have a little something?" I looked at him.

For a long time.

There was even an expectation in his eyes, expecting me to nod as usual, to say yes.

But among the things I had, one was called Nathan.

He was slowly moving himself, piece by piece, to someone else, yet he asked me why I felt like something was missing.

"Nathan, you're right. I have everything." He visibly relaxed.

"So you, I can do without too." The smile vanished from his face.

"Summer."

"You weren't like this before." I didn't answer.

He stood up, pulled open the door, and walked out. My gaze fell on the cake box on the table. Chestnut cake.

He didn't remember anymore.

My favorite flavor had changed since last year.