Chapter 5: Mustang Promises

“Natalie, good Natalie, beautiful and kind goddess, you don’t have class later, right?”

“There’s a party later, Megan’s coming, and she’s bringing her boyfriend. Come with me.”

Outside the school, Tyler leaned against his flashy new Mustang, hands clasped together in a begging gesture.

He looked ridiculous, pleading under the hazy afternoon sun, his car keys spinning around his finger. The Mustang gleamed like he’d just run it through the car wash for the third time this week.

“Tyler, you’re seriously hopeless. Enough with the act—helping you with this charade is ruining my own love life.”

Thinking of Caleb, I shot him a frosty look and refused coldly.

Tyler froze, then got excited:

“Love life? You never cared about that before. What, you’ve got your eye on someone now?”

He wiggled his eyebrows, pure mischief.

“What’s it to you? You can date, but I can’t?”

I shot him a sideways glance.

“Tch, if you won’t help, then fine. I’ll find a new one tomorrow. I’m handsome enough.”

“But you—better watch out you don’t get played. Want me to be nice and check the guy out for you?”

“And when we graduate and go abroad, in a foreign country, don’t come begging me to take care of you.”

Tyler’s eyes narrowed, his words dripping with sarcasm.

I kicked the tire of his beloved car, smiling without warmth:

“Fix your sense of direction first. Who’s taking care of who?”

The Mustang shuddered a little under my foot, and Tyler scowled, but didn’t protest. This was our usual banter, the kind only childhood friends could pull off without crossing a line.

As we bickered, the comments popped up again:

[Wait, the girl’s fake dating? It’s all just acting?]

[Haha, Caleb’s world just fell apart again. Last life, secret crush in high school, secret crush in college, only dared approach the heroine after she came back from studying abroad, using a business partnership as an excuse.]

[See what happens when you don’t speak up? If only he’d had the guts to ask her out back then.]

[Sigh, back then 19-year-old Caleb had nothing. Natalie and Tyler were childhood sweethearts, well-matched.]

[Looks like he became a big shot later, but still didn’t dare ask.]

[Of course he didn’t! When the heroine proposed a marriage alliance, she said it was for mutual benefit. He always thought it was just business, and quietly transferred most of his assets to her.]

……

It was like having a peanut gallery of rom-com fans living rent-free in my head.

I was engrossed in the scrolling comments.

Suddenly my phone vibrated. An anonymous text popped up:

[Hey, would you consider breaking up?]

I froze, not yet reacting when another message arrived:

[Or, would you mind having one more boyfriend?]

[I promise, until you break up, I’ll keep my distance and behave.]

My finger hovered over the screen. I typed his name:

[Caleb]

Just as I hesitated to send it, Tyler leaned over:

“Who’s that? The crush you’re into?”

My hand shook—and I sent it.

My temple throbbed. I turned off my phone and glared at Tyler.

“What, so precious?”

Tyler scoffed, face cold as he opened the car door:

“Want a ride home?”

He tried to sound casual, but there was a stubborn edge in his tone, like he couldn’t stand losing the last word.

“No need. Rachel asked me to go shopping. Go by yourself.”

Hearing Rachel’s name, Tyler got in the car and sped off with a roar.

The Mustang’s engine echoed down the block, drawing a few glances from passing students. I shook my head and texted Rachel, double-checking our plans.