Chapter 3

He didn’t refuse.

After that, no matter what we did, Madison always managed to appear at exactly the right moment while pretending she didn’t care.

Usually, all I had to do was fall half a step behind.

Then there was no room left for me between Ryan and Madison.

Somehow, whenever they started out keeping their distance, they always ended up impossibly close.

At bookstores, libraries, movie theaters...

I was always the third wheel.

Sometimes Madison would suddenly remember I existed and smile at me.

“Oh, right. I forgot. You’re pursuing Emma.”

Then she’d stick her tongue out at Ryan.

“Oops. Am I getting in the way?”

Ryan seemed to enjoy being chased by her.

He never rejected her.

He’d simply let a smile tug at his lips and allow her to do whatever she wanted.

Even though, in everyone else’s eyes, I was the girl he was pursuing.

As for me...

I had no right to complain.

I thought things would continue like that forever.

Until Saturday, when Ryan invited us to a party at his family’s house.

Madison was there too.

The place was packed.

In the middle of the crowd, someone suddenly bumped into me.

I fell straight into the pool.

Somehow, Madison ended up in the water too, looking like she was drowning.

Ryan jumped in almost immediately.

Without hesitation, he swam toward Madison, caught her, and quickly pulled her to safety.

I struggled in the freezing water for what felt like centuries.

Finally, another student jumped in and pulled me out.

I lay on the ground coughing up water while Ryan carried Madison away.

He didn’t even look at me.

Someone nearby asked, “Isn’t Ryan dating Emma? Why did he save Madison?”

“You don’t get it. Madison’s the one he really likes.”

“I saw Madison wrap her arms around his neck just now. She was crying and saying, ‘You obviously care about me most. Ryan, I’ll be with you. Stop chasing Emma, okay?’”

I lowered my head and slowly wrung the water from my clothes, as if I could squeeze the cold dampness out of my heart too.

Ryan stayed with Madison all night.

A few days later, several messages from Ryan appeared on my phone.

[Sorry. I didn’t know you fell into the pool that night too. Are you okay?]

[Thanks for helping me these past few weeks. About the payment I promised you—when are you free?]

[How about after school today? Same place. I’ll have someone bring you the money.]

[Also, I hope you’ll delete our messages and photos from the past few weeks.]

[This ends here. I don’t want Madison getting upset, so I’m deleting you first.]

I tried to reply.

[You don’t have to pay me.]

The message failed to go through.

He’d already blocked me.

I opened my camera roll and quickly found the only picture Ryan and I had taken together.

It was from the fifteenth day of our fake relationship.

I’d suggested taking a picture specifically for Madison to see.

“It might work better that way,” I’d said awkwardly.

I’d lowered my head, waiting for him to reject me.

Instead, Ryan suddenly took my phone, bent slightly toward the camera, and let the corner of his mouth lift.

I froze.

Then I carefully stood behind him, secretly watching him from the corner of my eye.

I stared at the photo for a while.

I didn’t delete it.

During the last class that day, I was collecting calculus assignments for the teacher when Madison looked at me over her workbook.

“Emma, it’s normal for girls to like guys like Ryan.”

“He told me what happened between you two was fake. But if you really did fall for him... please control yourself.”

“After all, he’s my boyfriend now.”

I took the workbook from her and answered calmly.

“Don’t worry. I don’t like him.”

After that, I kept hearing stories about Ryan and Madison.

Ryan took her to his family’s estate outside the city and set off fireworks for her all night.

On weekends, he took her everywhere.

Roller coasters. Ferris wheels.

Everywhere they went, new pictures of them appeared.

Someone even accidentally spotted Ryan pinning Madison against a tree in Lovers’ Grove and kissing her.

But soon, all that exciting gossip was buried by something new.

A transfer student joined our class.