Chapter 2: Confessions and Collisions

As soon as I saw Chris, he asked, "Whose cologne are you wearing?"

"A man’s," I replied, grinning mischievously.

Chris’s face stayed calm, but a vein pulsed in his neck—his true feelings impossible to hide.

I flashed a sly smile. "Want to hear something interesting? I think Julian’s about to break up with Savannah."

"Not exactly good news for me," Chris said, always frank. "But I do think Savannah’s different now."

My expression sharpened, my gaze narrowing. "You know her that well?"

Chris didn’t flinch. "You’ve fought with her for years—how could I not remember? Besides, I’ve run into her a few times lately."

My heart skipped. "Where?"

"At The Field."

I snapped, "You drank with her, didn’t you? Don’t ever invite me there again. Even if you do, I won’t go—not even if I die."

Chris got flustered, quickly explaining, "I didn’t drink with her. I didn’t know she was there. She came over to talk, but I finished my drink and left."

"So many girls chase you, you could be with anyone—just not Savannah."

Chris’s tone softened. "Neither of those things will happen."

He looked stunned for a second, staring at me as his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, his face softening, and answered quickly. I heard him say, "Savannah Lee."

All the blood rushed to my head. Chris was happy to take Savannah’s call—like he’d been waiting for it.

I grabbed my bag and turned to leave, stiff as a mannequin.

"Mariah!" Chris caught me, turning his phone so I could see the screen. The call wasn’t connected at all—it was just a spam call marked as "Savannah Lee."

I was speechless, caught off guard.

"Why are you so nervous?" Chris asked, eyes glinting with mischief. "Was it because I looked happy just now?"

"I’m not nervous," I snapped, arms crossed.

Chris burst out laughing, the sound bright and sharp. He looked at me like I was the punchline to his favorite joke.

He finally sobered, his voice gentle. "You don’t like Julian as much as you think."

"I like him a lot. I’ve dreamed of him three times this month."

Chris’s expression shifted. He pressed, "In high school, you barely talked to Julian. The closest you got was dinner at his house, and you always said you were bored of him. In college, you complained he was too cold, not worth the effort. Why did you suddenly fall for him after graduation?"

"It was a secret crush before—now it’s an open crush. I just didn’t tell you everything," I said, playful but defensive.

Chris didn’t buy it. "Are you sure?"

He didn’t need my answer. He knew me too well.

Back in high school, I’d complain to Chris about everything—even embarrassing stuff, like the time my skirt got stained red from my period. Chris would disappear for a bit, then come back, red-faced, handing me his jacket and a pack of pads.

"For daytime use," he’d mumble, barely audible.

"Did anyone see you buy them?"

He shrugged. "Let them think what they want."

I’d glance up to see boys snickering across the room. "When my stomach stops hurting, I’ll beat them up."

Chris would barely hold back his laughter, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

After years of this, Chris probably knew me better than anyone—except, maybe, for my sudden obsession with Julian. That was the one thing he never understood.

But now, he was peeling back my defenses, exposing my real motives.

I’d imagined a thousand ways to disrupt Savannah and Julian: falling down the stairs on Savannah’s birthday, faking a kidnapping on their anniversary, even cutting my wrist at their engagement. In every scene, Julian would rush to me, leaving Savannah behind.

But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t picture actually dating Julian. It just didn’t fit.

Julian and I had grown up together, but my feelings only sharpened when I realized he liked Savannah. Wanting what Savannah had—it was written in my bones.

If this were a script, I’d be the villainess. The girl who always wants what she can’t have.

"Mariah," Chris said softly, his eyes flickering, "if I’d chosen Savannah last night, would you have fought for me? Would you love me then?"

He was stripping me bare, making me face truths I’d never admitted.

I bolted, bag in hand, practically running.

Chris, ever the gentleman, usually kept his distance. But this time, he stopped me, gently pressing me back into my seat, his knee pinning my calf so I couldn’t escape.

"I was just hypothesizing. Not everyone likes Savannah," Chris said, voice low. "For example, I really like you—not her."

It was his ninth confession, but this one felt different—raw and real.

"I know. I always knew."

Chris chuckled, his eyes warm. "Is this being fearless because you know I’ll always care?"

I snapped, "But you and I can’t be together. You watched me chase Julian—if I suddenly agreed to be with you, I’d look even worse."

Chris looked stunned, his voice dropping. "I never thought you…"

He trailed off, unfinished, as my phone rang. Savannah’s name flashed on the screen. I was so shocked, I answered on speaker.

"Mariah," Savannah’s voice was gentle, but it made my skin crawl. "I’ve decided to get engaged to Julian."

Everything spun. "So sudden? Why?"

Savannah laughed softly. "Guess?"

Chris grabbed the phone, snapping, "It has nothing to do with Mariah."

His face was serious, his tone protective.

I didn’t understand any of it.

"It has nothing to do with you. No need to understand," Chris said, his face quickly smoothing into a smile. "Hungry? Let’s go eat."

"Starving," I admitted, letting him lead me away.

As we walked, Chris tossed out, "Mariah Jennings, if you run off after Julian while eating with me, you owe me a million."

"Why?"

"It ruins my appetite."

"Don’t even think about it."

Chris grinned. "If you chase someone else’s fiancé, same deal."

"Did you take the wrong medicine?"

Chris smirked. "Is this your first day knowing me? Every time you go to Julian, I find a way to keep you."

Suddenly, memories flashed—Chris calling me after crashing his car, burning his hand while I was on the phone, always needing me right before I was about to run to Julian. Maybe those "accidents" weren’t so accidental after all.

Beneath his calm surface, Chris was just as scheming as I was. Maybe that’s why we’d lasted so long.

"Thinking about what to eat?" Chris flashed his innocent, dimpled smile.

"I’m wondering if my parents knew about Savannah’s wedding before she did."

Chris shrugged. "Your parents aren’t hers. Because you two were the same age, they brought her over to play, bought her gifts, praised her piano because she was the neighbor’s kid. They only did those things for show."

I shook my head, baffled. "That’s too deep. How’d you figure it out?"

Chris grinned. "I know all your business, and I think about it."

"You still didn’t explain clearly."

Chris’s voice was gentle. "Your folks only love you. I do too."

His tenth confession. It caught me off guard.

"Chris, I’m so hungry."

"I’ll eat with you," he promised, his tone playful.

On the way to eat, I spotted Julian’s car. He rolled down the window, eyes serious. "Mariah, something came up. Get in."

Chris grabbed my wrist, voice low and protective. "Mariah Jennings, a million."

Julian’s gaze landed on Chris. "I just want a few words with her."

Chris shot back, "You’re not going to ask her to be your bridesmaid, are you?"

"On the contrary," Julian said, staring at me. "If Savannah asks you, refuse."

"Why?" My curiosity was piqued.

Julian blurted, "Am I crazy?"

My reputation for chasing Julian was legendary. If I became his and Savannah’s bridesmaid, I’d be the butt of every joke in town.

Sure enough, Savannah asked me to be her bridesmaid—she even got my parents to persuade me. But I would’ve said yes anyway. I didn’t care who Julian’s bride was anymore.

But since Savannah and I shared a complicated history, I agreed easily. After all, she needed me for once.

As the wedding approached, I sensed something was off with Julian. He seemed distant, his reactions flat.

When Julian mentioned marriage, he looked anything but happy—his eyes shadowed with loneliness.

After talking to Savannah about bridesmaids, I hung up and Chris said, "If you really don’t want to go, I’ll refuse for you."

"I’ll go. I have to."

Chris waved his fruit knife, then put it down with the apple he was peeling. "You going to smash the chandelier or flip the table?"

"Can’t I just be a quiet beauty?"

Chris shook his head, dead serious. "You’re only beautiful when you’re asleep."

"Not beautiful when I’m awake?"

"Mariah Jennings," Chris said, "tell me your plan so I can clean up the mess."

I dropped my smile. "I sincerely hope they get married."

"Why?"

"I don’t like Julian anymore."

"Not even a little?"

"Of course not. He’s getting married."

Chris’s eyes lit up with hope. "Then can you start liking me now?"

"A million."

"Okay."

I wanted to ask Chris what he really wanted from me, but I remembered Julian asking the same thing, so I let it go.

But I couldn’t help myself. "Why haven’t you given up on me?"

My obsessions—Julian, taking what belonged to Savannah—were hardwired into me. Was Chris’s love for me the same?

Chris thought for a while, then looked up. "Mariah Jennings, I don’t know."

I felt a pang of disappointment. I’d been hoping for something more.

"If you want an answer, I can’t give you one. But we’ve been together almost every day for so long. It’s not just habit—I always want to see you. That’s really, really liking you, right?"

He looked so aggrieved, I couldn’t help but think he was cute.

So I reached for his hand, cold but comforting.

Chris lowered his head and kissed me, soft and warm.

My heart raced, my cheeks flushed.

But when Julian learned I’d agreed to be Savannah’s bridesmaid, he came looking for me. He avoided Chris, pulling me aside. "What are you thinking?"

"Is it such a big deal for a little sister to be a bridesmaid at her brother’s wedding?"

Julian looked into my eyes. "You don’t have to."

"You never cared about details before."

"This isn’t a detail."

"After the engagement, when’s the real wedding?"

Julian hedged. "Maybe end of the year, maybe next spring."

I grinned. "You’re so hesitant—do you not love Savannah anymore?"

Julian’s eyes widened, as if I’d hit a nerve.

I was stunned.

"Mariah, I should love her," Julian said, looking exhausted.

"Of course you should. You’ve loved her forever."

Julian’s voice was heavy. "But she’s changed. I can’t explain it. She seems to be acting."

"Julian, you jerk," I blurted.

Julian laughed, covering his face. "Yeah, no one’s worse than me."

At the wedding dress shop, Savannah kept dropping hints about her and Julian’s romance—expensive jewelry, wild nights, sunrise kisses—then looking at me with fake apology.

I just smiled. "Julian’s a good guy. You’ll be happy."

Julian skipped the fitting, claiming a meeting. Savannah’s face fell, her knuckles white as she gripped her phone.

"Mariah Jennings," she said through gritted teeth.

"What?"

She lost it. "Was it you? Did you talk to Julian? He wants to call off the engagement. What did you say?"

I was frozen. The perfect Savannah, always angelic, now furious and raw.

I wanted to comfort her, but she brushed me off, her smile cold. "If Julian doesn’t marry me, you won’t get anywhere either. You’re only fit to cling to him, begging for another look."

I stared at her. "You can pretend for a while, but not forever," she bit out. "I want to see how you can seduce Julian while stringing along Chris, and end up with nothing."

I hated her dragging Chris into this. He was never a pawn in my war with Savannah.

When Julian told me Savannah had changed, I didn’t believe it. But seeing her like this, I lost interest in her altogether.

At that moment, Savannah looked at me like I was an NPC in her story—irrelevant, replaceable.

I, on the other hand, had long accepted my villainess role.

Later, I gossiped about it all with Chris at our favorite diner. He listened patiently, then patted my head. "Let’s not be like them, always changing."

"Are we getting married too?" I teased.

Chris smiled. "I agree."

"People will laugh at you," I warned. "Everyone knows I chased Julian."

Chris smirked. "It’s easier to be laughed at without a title."

He had a point. I nodded, thoughtful.

When the engagement was announced, Julian looked shocked. "Why is it Chris?"

"Who else would it be?"

Julian shook his head. "I’m not qualified to guess. Just… don’t force yourself."

"If you say that, you’ll get me in trouble."

Julian surrendered, sighing. "I won’t say more. Take care."

"What about Savannah?" After the dress fitting, she’d deleted me and moved away.

"She came to see me, that’s all," Julian said, changing the subject. "Mariah, happy wedding."

"Happy wedding, Chris," I said later, looking into his eyes. "Our first ten years are over."

I’d always imagined I’d be cast out for my schemes. But I never expected to find real love and start our eleventh year together.