Chapter 1

For the fifth year of our secret relationship, Diego Barrett went on a blind date behind my back.

I happened to catch him in the act. My gaze lingered on him for only a heartbeat before I looked away as though nothing had happened.

A moment later, a text from Diego appeared.

[My mom set this up. You know how she is. If I'd turned her down, she would've nagged me for days.]

I watched the "typing..." indicator flicker beneath his name. Then I smiled and replied with my usual patience.

[It's okay. I understand.]

After all, I was only here because my parents had pressured me into going on a blind date too.

My date had already been waiting in the private dining room for quite a while.

Chapter 1

I pushed open the door to the private dining room and found a man in a black jacket waiting inside.

He had pleasant features, an average build, and the polished, dependable look people stereotypically associated with government workers—the kind of steady, high-quality catch on the blind date market.

By the time I came back to myself, Kaleb Duffy was already on his feet, pulling out my chair like a perfect gentleman. Once we were seated, he got straight to the point and began introducing himself.

He was twenty-eight, held a management position at a publicly traded company, owned a luxury condo downtown, drove a nice car, and had been in two serious relationships.

On paper, everything about him was just right.

I listened quietly the whole time, yet an inexplicable sense of boredom welled up inside me, probably because I hadn't wanted to come in the first place.

Before the holidays, Isabel Calloway, my mother, had constantly nagged me about finding a boyfriend. When she realized nagging wasn't working, she started sending me the contact information of every eligible bachelor she could find.

Trying to avoid being set up, I'd finally said, "I like someone like Diego. Mom, if you can find a guy who's on his level, I'll go."

She'd laughed and told me I was aiming way above my league.

But then she actually went and found one, which was why I had no choice but to show up.

Aside from not being as handsome as Diego, Kaleb, who was sitting across from me, was his equal in almost every other way.

Just then, my phone buzzed.

Diego: [Still having dinner with your friends? I'm almost done here. It's snowing outside, so I'll drive you home.]

I replied curtly: [No need.]

Then I typed: [I'm on a date.]

Before I could hit "send", Kaleb's gentle, hesitant voice interrupted me. "Ms. Calloway, have I done something to make a bad first impression?"

He had probably noticed how distracted I was.

I froze for a second before realizing how rude I'd been. "I'm sorry."

Without making a fuss, Kaleb poured me a cup of hot tea and smoothly let the awkward moment pass.

"Would you mind telling me a little about yourself?"

I wrapped both hands around the warm cup.

"I'm a freelancer. I own my home. My education is pretty average, and, well... you can judge my looks for yourself. I was also in a five-year relationship, and I'm still not completely untangled from my ex.

"I'm sorry for wasting your time."

The truth was, I couldn't even define what Diego and I were anymore.

Childhood friends.

Lovers.

Friends.

None of those labels came close to describing whatever we had become.

Kaleb was visibly stunned. The matchmaker had clearly painted a very different picture of me.

Just as the silence turned uncomfortable, his phone rang. He answered, apologized, claimed something urgent had come up, and hurried off.

I didn't have much of an appetite. After absentmindedly sipping my tea a couple of times, I went to the front desk to pay, only to discover Kaleb had already taken care of the bill.

When I stepped outside, the freezing wind and snow slammed into my face like shards of ice.

Remembering Diego's text, I found myself lingering outside the restaurant. Then I quietly lit a cigarette.

I didn't actually like smoking. The smell was harsh, and the smoke always made me cough. But whenever my emotions were in a knot, one cigarette somehow helped.

I hadn't even finished it before Diego walked out with a young, beautiful woman at his side. They chatted and laughed as they strolled through the snow. The scarf I'd knitted for him with my own hands was wrapped snugly around her neck.

The moment he saw me, Diego snapped back to his senses.

"I've got to go. Let's talk another time."

Ellie Brooks pulled the scarf higher over the lower half of her face. She glanced at me without drawing attention to it before speaking in a muffled voice, "Diego, the snow's really coming down. It'll probably be hard to get a ride."

Unfortunately, Diego completely missed what she was really saying. He shrugged off his coat, draped it over my head, and hurried toward the parking lot with me through the driving snow.

Chapter 2

Once we were in the car, Diego turned on the heat. Only then did he remember to explain himself.

"She's a year below me in college. We got to talking, and I guess I lost track of time."

I nodded. "Mm."

He'd always been like that—easy to talk to, the kind of person who could strike up a conversation with anyone.

Anyone except me.

During the three years we attended colleges in different states, we barely talked. I’d always told myself he was swamped with postgraduate studies, thesis research and his startup business..

So even when it took him days to reply to my messages, I never complained. Not until I accidentally saw his chat history with another girl.

They texted every day, sharing the little moments of their lives and talking about things I couldn't even follow.

The conversation went on for pages and pages. Compared to that, the handful of messages Diego and I had exchanged felt pitiful.

I finally lost my temper.

He only frowned, calm to the point of being infuriating. "Gemma Calloway, what is your problem? I didn't cheat on you. I was just having a normal conversation. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?"

Then he scrolled through the entire conversation for me.

He was right. They'd shared pieces of their daily lives, but there wasn't a single flirtatious message.

I closed my eyes for a moment before quietly asking, "Why couldn't you talk to me like that?"

His answer came without hesitation. "You went to a state school. What could we possibly have to talk about?"

It wasn't a careless insult. It was the quiet certainty that he was better than me.

That day, for the first time, I told him we were done. Still angry, he agreed without a second thought.

A month later, he showed up with a bouquet, and somehow we ended up back together.

The silence inside the car grew almost unbearable.

Keeping his eyes on the road, Diego asked casually, "Who were you having dinner with?"

Lost in thought, I answered before I could stop myself, "My blind date."

His expression darkened instantly. The Porsche screeched to a halt at the side of the road. He turned to me, his face tense.

"So because I agreed to go on a blind date, you're saying this just to get back at me?"

I shook my head. "No."

He let out a humorless laugh. "No? So you really went on a blind date? Gemma, if you're going to lie, at least make it believable. You'd never leave me for someone else."

I looked at him, genuinely confused. "Are you... jealous? We both went on blind dates. Doesn't that make us even?"

His face hardened even more. "Gemma, don't test me."

I had no interest in arguing. I looked away, reached for the door handle, and said flatly, "I'll just get an Uber home."

The words had barely left my mouth before he leaned across the center console. One hand cupped the back of my head as he crushed his lips against mine.

I shoved at his chest, trying to push him away. Instead, he kissed me harder, forcing my lips apart.

I bit down as hard as I could. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

He jerked back with a curse. "Gemma!"

Ignoring his anger, I wiped my mouth, climbed out of the car, and walked away.

The bitter cold slammed into me the moment I stepped outside. I hurried down the sidewalk without looking back, only pulling out my phone to call an Uber after I was sure he wasn't following me.

Ten minutes later, a driver finally accepted my request. By then, my hands and feet were numb from the cold. I had a feeling I was going to come down with something.

By eleven that night, a high fever hit me hard. Wrapped in a thick comforter, I fumbled for my phone, planning to have some cold medicine delivered.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Chapter 3

Diego arrived looking like he'd driven straight through the storm. Cold air clung to him, and flecks of snow still dusted his hair and shoulders.

He took one look at me and asked, as though he'd expected this all along. "You caught a cold?"

Without answering, I simply stepped aside and let him in. I sat on the couch while he headed straight for the kitchen, as familiar with my apartment as if it were his own.

He boiled water, then effortlessly carried me back to the bedroom and tucked me beneath the blankets until only my face was exposed.

He pressed a cooling patch against my forehead. Then he fed me my medicine.

My nose stung as I fought back tears. The tightness in my chest only grew worse.

For some reason, I found myself thinking back to two years earlier, when I'd just started my first job.

Money had been tight, so I'd rented a cheap apartment in an older neighborhood while I got on my feet. The walls were paper-thin.

Every night, strange noises drifted through the building.

I'd always been timid. Most nights, I lay awake listening to every creak and every unfamiliar sound.

One night, after staring at the ceiling until nearly three in the morning, I finally called Diego. He'd been in the middle of launching his startup back then, working around the clock. I hadn't wanted him to do anything. I just wanted someone to talk to.

Instead, Diego drove two hours in the middle of the night to be with me.

The moment he walked through the door, he stared at me and demanded, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

It was because I didn't want to burden him, but I never said it out loud. If I had, he only would've been angrier.

The next day, he spent nearly every dollar he had left helping me rent a better apartment before rushing back to work. Because he'd spent that money on me, he lived on one meal a day for the next month and lost more than twenty pounds.

But we were never like other couples. No one knew we were together.

We didn't text every day or FaceTime unless there was something important.

Diego never reached out first, not once. He loved me. Or maybe he didn't.

After making sure I was settled and had everything I needed, he asked softly, "Feeling any better?"

I turned my face away. I didn't want to talk.

He assumed I was still upset about what had happened earlier that day. With a quiet sigh, he patiently explained, "The blind date really was my mom's idea. I don't have feelings for Ellie, and nothing's ever going to happen between us."

I closed my eyes. "I know."

He stood beside the bed, watching me in silence for a long moment. In the end, he didn't say another word.

But just as he reached the bedroom door, I called after him.

I should've broken up with him then. I knew I should.

But when I opened my mouth, the words refused to come. Maybe people were just more vulnerable when they were sick.

Swallowing every emotion, I asked as casually as I could, hiding the hope I hadn't even realized I still carried, "Then… will we ever have a future together?"

Diego stopped. He looked back at me, something unreadable flickering across his face. Instead of answering, he said quietly, "Don't overthink it. Get some sleep."

I turned onto my side, giving him my back. "You should go. And don't come over anymore."

A moment later, the bedroom door clicked shut. The apartment fell completely silent.

The next morning, I was surprised to receive a message from Kaleb. After all, yesterday's date hadn't exactly gone well.

[I'm sorry about yesterday. Something came up at work that I really had to deal with. Let me make it up to you. I'd love to take you out for dinner another day.]

He'd handled the situation with more grace than I'd expected. After everything I'd told him yesterday, I couldn't blame anyone for walking away.

I replied politely: [I should apologize instead. I should've been honest about my situation from the beginning. Dinner's on me next time.]

Kaleb replied a few moments later, and we chatted for a while.

Chapter 4

Three days later, my cold had mostly cleared up. During that time, I hadn't spoken to Diego once.

Then my mom texted me to ask me to stop by Diego's house for their Christmas gathering.

Our families had always been close, and since Diego and I had grown up together, we'd spent every Christmas this way for as long as I could remember.

This time, I turned her down.

A long voice message arrived almost immediately.

[Gemma, aren't you and Diego closer than anyone? Did you two have a fight? This is the perfect chance to clear the air. Your dad and I really can't make it this year. Your aunt is finally back in town, so I have to see her, and your dad's visiting your uncle's family...]

[Just do me this favor, okay?]

After a few seconds of silence, I replied: [I'll go.]

Over dinner, Linda Barrett inevitably asked about my love life, "Gemma, you're not getting any younger. Are you seeing anyone?"

Before I could answer, Diego cut in with a frown, "Mom, why are you asking her that?"

Linda frowned back. "I'm an adult asking after someone I've known since she was little. What's wrong with that? Besides, I asked Gemma, not you. Why are you getting so worked up?"

I knew exactly what he was worried about. He was afraid I'd tell everyone about our secret relationship.

I smiled faintly. "Not at the moment. But I did go on a blind date a few days ago. He's a great guy with an impressive career. We're planning to have dinner again and get to know each other better."

Linda visibly relaxed. "Kaleb's a wonderful young man, isn't he? I pulled all my connections to find such an outstanding young man for you. You'd better not let this opportunity slip away."

The smile disappeared from Diego's face. He turned to his mother, disbelief written all over it. His fingers tightened so hard around his water glass that his knuckles turned white.

"Mom, how could you set Gemma up with another man?"

Linda looked at him as though he were being ridiculous. "And why shouldn't I? So you're allowed to go on blind dates, but Gemma isn't? What kind of logic is that?"

His expression darkened, and he didn't say another word.

Linda turned back to me with another warm smile, asking a few more questions about my dating life before encouraging me to settle down soon.

I knew what she really meant. Just like Diego, she'd never thought I was good enough for him.

Back in our sophomore year of college, not long after we'd started dating, we were inseparable. I spent so much time at his house that Linda eventually noticed.

One afternoon, she asked me casually, "You've fallen for my son, haven't you?"

I lowered my head, too embarrassed to answer, not that she seemed interested in hearing one.

"Gemma, don't take this the wrong way, but Diego is simply not good enough for you.

"Long-distance relationships are hard enough as it is. You're attending a state school here, while he's at one of the country's top universities in D.C. Imagine how many beautiful, accomplished girls he'll meet there.

"I've watched you grow up. I'm only saying this because I care about you. Don't hold on to feelings that are only going to hurt you."

I couldn't meet her eyes. The humiliation left me unable to say a word.

I understood exactly what she meant. She wasn't worried about me. She was worried I'd hold her son back.

After that day, I deliberately kept my distance from Diego.

Then, the day before he left to return to school after summer break, he came looking for me. His handsome face was creased with irritation.

"Gemma, what exactly are you upset about?"

I repeated every word Linda had said to me.