The Fool He Made Me

The next morning, I took my new transfer form to school.

As the secretary stamped the seal, a pang of emptiness hit me. I stared blankly at the ink until someone blocked my path.

Shane's brows creased. "You changed the passcode on your house? I went back to check on you after dropping Esther off, but I couldn't get in."

I cut him off. "Yeah, I changed it."

He swallowed his displeasure, slipping back into that familiar, warm tone. "What's the new code? So, I can swing by and look after you."

"No need," I said flatly. "I'm moving out after the transfer."

He glanced at the folded form in my hand and facepalmed. "Oh, right, I forgot about that. Don't worry, I'll get mine stamped tomorrow."

Walking and talking with him felt like a faint echo of our past. Ever since Esther entered the picture, these moments had all but vanished.

I closed my eyes, letting nostalgia tug at me one last time. Then I tested him. "After all we've been through, you don't need to worry about me."

He was silent for a moment. "Actually, I..."

Esther suddenly appeared behind him, clutching a stack of notebooks. Her voice was sugary and whiny. "Shane, you promised to help me study. Where did you run off to?"

She shoved the notes at him, batting her lashes. "I saw your tutoring plan goes two months out, so I prepared some study materials. You're not mad I snooped, right?"

"Not at all," Shane responded with a forced smile, shooting me a quick, guilty glance.

When I didn't react, his eyes dimmed a little.

I knew what was going on. While he was pushing me away, he'd been planning a future with Esther—one that didn't include me.

I kept my expression neutral, but inside, bitterness spread like a slow-burning whiskey. I dug my nails into my palm to stay grounded. "I'll leave you to it."

Esther gasped, acting like she'd just noticed me. "A-Alice? Are you upset because I'm studying with Shane? I don't have the money or connections like you do, so..."

Her voice cracked, and she started sobbing.

Unimpressed, I said, "Get out of my way."

Shane's guilt vanished at my blunt words. He grabbed my wrist, his voice hot with anger. "What's with that attitude?"

He yanked me toward Esther and barked, "Apologize to her!"

The last shred of longing in my heart crumbled. My hand flew up, slapping him across the face. "You're the one who owes an apology. Not to Esther, but to me."