Chapter 2

He looked at me, then thrust the bag in front of my face. It was filled with imported berries and fresh fruit.

"I bought these for you. All your favorites."

I didn't take it.

"Just say what you came to say. I have work tomorrow."

His expression shifted, his tone turning dark.

"Chloe, what are you pulling? I spent two months chasing you, spent hundreds of dollars, and you dump me after twenty-four hours?"

"You're totally playing me, aren't you?"

"I never asked you to spend that money."

"You did that on your own."

"You—"

Choked on his own words, his face flushed red.

"You're an ungrateful brat! Have you forgotten everything I did for you? You only care about that two-dollar gas charge?"

"I haven't forgotten how nice you were," I said, looking right into his eyes. "But I realized we have fundamentally different values when it comes to relationships. Cutting my losses early makes sense. What's wrong with that?"

"What different values?" His voice grew louder. "It's just because I asked you to split the gas! I told you, I was protecting you! Why can't you understand that?"

"Do you know how many guys trash their girlfriends behind their backs, calling them freeloaders just because they bought dinner? I didn't want anyone saying that about you!"

His mental gymnastics almost gave me a headache.

"Austin, you split a two-dollar-and-eighty-cent gas bill down to the cent. Name one person on this earth who would call a girl a gold digger over a dollar-forty."

He opened his mouth, completely speechless.

"It's just two bucks, was it really worth breaking up over?" he finally sputtered out.

"I don't think it's worth it either," I agreed. "So why didn't you just let it go?"

"Because I can't!" He shook his head aggressively. "Principles are principles! You don't break the rules just because the amount is small!"

I was completely done.

Fine. If you love your principles so much, go marry them.

"I've made myself crystal clear. We're done. Please leave."

I reached out to shut the door, but he slammed his palm against the frame, holding it open with shocking force.

"Don't you dare close this door."

He glared at me, his gaze suddenly turning predatory and unsettling.

"Let me tell you something, Chloe. You can't treat me like this."

"I literally just told my mom today that I have a girlfriend. My entire family knows about you now! You want to dump me now? How am I supposed to save face?"

I froze. "You told your family?"

"Of course I did!" He sounded thoroughly justified. "I pursued you for so long, we finally made it official, why wouldn't I tell them?"

"My mom was thrilled! She even offered to cook dinner for you this weekend. Now you want to break up? What am I supposed to tell her?"

I took a sharp breath, feeling my blood pressure spike through the roof.

"Telling your family is your business, not mine. We've been dating for literally one day and you're planning family dinners? Don't you think that's unhinged?"

"Unhinged?" He scowled. "We've known each other for two months! We have a solid emotional foundation. How is that too fast?"

A solid emotional foundation?

A foundation built on a dollar-forty Venmo request?

Communicating with him was an impossible task.

"Austin, I'm saying this for the last time. We are not compatible. We are broken up. Leave."

"No."

He pulled his hand off the door frame, took a step back, and plopped himself down flat on the hallway floor.

"If you don't take me back, I'm not leaving."

My eyes widened as I watched a grown man sit on the concrete floor outside my apartment. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

"What are you doing? Get up right now!"

"No."

He crossed his arms over his chest, wearing a defiant, shameless smirk.

"I'm staying right here until you agree. You're my girlfriend. I have every right to pursue you."