Chapter 2

I handed it over to him without a second thought.

When the tickets came through, I found myself stuck with a standing-room ticket all over again.

Her eyes crinkled as Chloe smiled, and I could practically see the smug satisfaction written all over her face.

She waved her phone in front of me, showing her first-class ticket to me.

"Vince was actually going to get you a first-class seat, but I didn't want you to feel left out while we were talking."

"I want to have Vince all to myself for some girl talk, Soph. You won't be mad at me, right?"

I froze, and the tears came up before I could stop them.

Instead of wiping away my tears, I snapped at Vincent.

"Are you kidding me? You get to sit comfortably for ten hours, while I'm stuck standing the entire way?"

"If you didn't want to get me a seat, why didn't you just let me book my own ticket??"

Vincent's expression darkened, but he said nothing.

Chloe caught the look on his face and immediately slipped her arm through mine, her voice turning sweet and coaxing.

"Soph, don't blame Vince. This was my idea. I was the one who asked him to do it."

"You two stayed together all the time. You deserve some time alone."

"Besides, it's just ten hours standing. It's really not a big deal."

Vincent pinched her cheek.

"You’re such a chatterbox."

I cried for days. But in the end, even though I didn't want to, I made myself get on the train.

The whole way, the crowd was packed in so tight I could barely breathe.

By the time we arrived, my feet ached, then gradually went numb until I could hardly feel them anymore.

When I finally stepped off the train, Vincent and Chloe were already ahead of me, walking hand in hand, laughing and talking.

I struggled to keep up, but they only got farther and farther away.

Eventually, I stopped walking.

By then, they'd dwindled to two tiny figures in the distance.

This year, I'd learned my lesson. I insisted that we each book our own tickets.

Before we did, Chloe suddenly suggested, "Soph had such a hard time standing for ten hours last year. Why don't we all get standing-room tickets this time?"

She turned to me with an eager smile.

"Come on, Soph. Let's do it together! I've never stood for an entire trip before. I want to see what it's like to stand, too."

Vincent agreed without hesitation.

I still had my doubts, but eventually, I let myself believe them.

I never expected that in the end I'd be the fool who was completely played by the two of them.

This time I wasn't going to put up with it anymore.

After I canceled the ticket, the Uber confirmation came through fast.

[Dear Ms. Carter, your request has been accepted. Please contact your driver shortly. Have a safe trip.]

I'd barely finished the canceling when Vincent's message came in.

[?]

I opened the screenshot he'd sent and looked closely. It was the refund notice.

The ticket booking was linked to his number, so now the refund alert had gone to him.

Vincent was typing and deleting on his end, like he couldn’t decide what to say.

Finally, his messages came through.

[Soph, stop being difficult.]

[You canceled your ticket. How are you getting home?]

[Chloe and I were only messing with you. If you refuse to take the train, she'll be really upset.]

I stared at that line and let out a disbelieving scoff.

For the first time, I didn't want to reply.

I put my phone away and started packing.

Not long after, Vincent came home.

The second he walked in, I caught a sharp citrus scent.

Chloe's signature perfume.

For her birthday, Vincent had gone so far as to commission an entire production run of a custom fragrance tailored to her exact taste.

It had been made exclusively for her. No one else in the world had the same scent.

I frowned and took a step back instinctively.

"What's your problem?"

Vincent loosened his collar and looked me up and down. " Why did you cancel your ticket all of a sudden? Are you mad at me or something?"

He couldn't even be bothered to hear me out.

He just let out a mocking laugh and kicked my suitcase aside while passing it.

The clothes I'd just folded spilled across the floor.

"Don't bother packing."

He slipped one hand into his pocket, looking thoroughly amused with himself.

"If you're so determined not to stand for ten hours, then just stay here."

"It's not like there's anyone waiting for you back home anyway. I'm taking Chloe out, so you can stay here and look after the house."

I could tell he was serious, so I didn't argue or cry.

I simply nodded.