Chapter 2: The Reunion and the Fallout

I apologized awkwardly and hung up. Because of this misunderstanding, I was so embarrassed I even forgot to call Derek again.

My cheeks burned as I set my phone down, replaying the call in my head. If Caleb told Derek, I’d never hear the end of it. I tried to distract myself by making some chamomile tea, but the silence in the apartment felt like it was pressing in from all sides.

When Derek came back the next day, his face was especially dark. I asked if he wanted breakfast. He ignored me, treating me like I didn’t exist.

It stayed like this until a week later, at a college reunion. Derek and I were still in a cold war. At the table, we sat far apart. We’d always been inseparable, but now we were as distant as strangers.

The reunion was at a trendy gastropub just off campus, with those Edison bulbs strung over the bar and a shuffleboard table pushed to the side. It smelled like craft beer and fried pickles. Our friends filled the place with laughter, but between Derek and me, there was only empty space.

Natalie leaned in close to Derek, suddenly covering her mouth to laugh:

"Derek, why are you fighting with your girlfriend again? You’re a grown man, why bother with a woman?"

Natalie—Derek’s childhood sweetheart. Before I showed up, she was also his ex-girlfriend. They’d broken up and gotten back together for years, finally settling as friends.

Her tone was playful, but the sting was obvious. She wore her blonde hair in a messy bun and flashed that easy grin she reserved for Derek. My fingers tightened around my glass, knuckles white.

We’d quarreled many times over Natalie, but Derek was always impatient:

"It’s not like we never dated. If I could’ve really been with her, would you even have had a chance?"

His words always felt like a slap, no matter how many times I heard them. The others would snicker, and my cheeks would burn.

His friends also laughed at me for overthinking:

"You’re the first woman Derek ever wanted to marry. For a guy like him to settle down for you, he must really love you."

Watching the two of them banter so intimately, I took a deep breath and told myself this was just normal interaction between friends.

It was a lie I kept telling myself, replaying their laughter, their inside jokes, trying to convince my heart it didn’t matter. I focused on the playlist in the background—a cheesy mix of 2000s hits—anything to drown out my thoughts.

When the food came, the main dish in front of me was Hawaiian pizza. Natalie suddenly acted surprised:

"I forgot your girlfriend is allergic to pineapple, Derek, why didn’t you remind me?"

She tried to swap her veggie pizza with mine, sounding a bit reluctant:

"The waiter said that was the last one. Oh well, since your girlfriend likes it, let her have it."

She made it sound like I was stealing her last meal, when it was just some sad veggie slice.

I was about to refuse when Derek cut in:

"Eat your own. No need to give it to her. Who does she think she is?"

The room instantly fell silent. My hand froze on my glass, a prickle of embarrassment running up my neck. The clinking of forks and the shuffle of chairs paused. I felt everyone’s eyes dart between me and Derek, the tension so thick you could slice it with a butter knife.

Natalie tugged at Derek’s sleeve, frowning and gently persuading:

"Why fuss with your girlfriend? Just let her have it, I don’t mind. I can eat Hawaiian."

But Derek was unmoved. He spoke loudly, making sure everyone heard:

"Girlfriend? We’re not even married. Even if we were, people get divorced. We’re just dating now."

A friend half-joked:

"What do you mean? Derek, are you thinking of breaking up?"

Derek instinctively retorted, "No."

That friend smiled, as if unintentionally:

"I knew it. You’re so tightly managed by Aubrey, you even need to report before drinking. At most you’ll have a cold war or throw a tantrum, but you wouldn’t dare mention breaking up, right?"

Derek was instantly provoked:

"Who says I wouldn’t dare? I’ll just..."

He was about to say "break up," but suddenly changed tone:

"But I won’t stoop to a woman’s level. Aubrey is petty, but since we’ve dated so long, I’ll give her one last chance to apologize."

That friend’s eyes flashed with disappointment, but Derek didn’t notice.

Natalie hooked Derek’s arm and joked:

"Then if you really break up, date me again. Don’t let outsiders take advantage."

Derek smiled, rubbed Natalie’s head, glanced at me, and said coldly:

"Of course, some people are just too good at acting up. You’re still the most obedient."

It was as if he wanted to make sure everyone knew where we stood, twisting the knife a little deeper for good measure.

A sudden flashback hit me as Natalie leaned closer to Derek—back to the first time I ever saw them together, at a freshman welcome party. They’d stood side by side, so at ease, laughing at some private joke. I’d felt completely out of place then, like I was just a temporary visitor in their world. That same out-of-place feeling washed over me now.