Chapter 1

At our engagement party, my fiancée was a no-show.

A dozen calls went straight to voicemail.

Our mutual friends were giving me the runaround, trying to cover for her.

The next thing I knew, I saw her best friend's Instagram story.

"What's meant to be will always find a way."

The picture was of Chloe and her ex, Jason.

And he was holding a very familiar-looking belt.

Love's flame died in the chill of my heart.

After I decided to cut things off for good,

She was gripping the doorframe, refusing to let go: "Leo, just give me one more chance."

No more chances.

The embers were dead, and they weren't sparking again.

It was time for me to set sail…

...

Chloe’s best friend deleted the Instagram story less than a minute later.

An hour ago, she’d told me Chloe was just running late because of a work thing.

Now that the truth was out, what was there left for me to hope for?

I’d seen that belt in Chloe’s online shopping cart.

I played along and didn't ask, just waited with happy anticipation.

She’d once told me that giving a man a belt meant she'd decided he was the one.

It was about tying you down, locking you in, for good!

Back then, Chloe and I were already planning our engagement.

Everything was pretty much set in stone.

Until her ex, Jason, showed up again.

The engagement party, a month in the making, had become a complete and utter joke.

I felt like a wild animal was roaring inside my chest.

My tear ducts felt like they were sealed shut.

The MC on stage seemed to realize something was wrong, his expression turning awkward.

Everyone knew what was up.

The bride-to-be had bolted.

Leaving this whole mess behind.

My mom pulled me aside, her face etched with worry.

"Was it an emergency at the office?"

She was even trying to make excuses for Chloe’s disappearance.

I calmed my mom down, then walked on stage and took the mic from the MC.

Even though I didn’t say it outright, the guests could already guess what had happened.

A look of relief flashed across Chloe’s parents' faces before they made a quick excuse and left.

My dad, swallowing his rage, barely touched his food before taking my mom home.

After dealing with the last of the relatives, I dragged my exhausted body home.

The eleven o'clock night was too quiet.

Which made Chloe's call feel all the more sudden.

I hesitated for a second, then hit decline.

I wandered around outside all night, not getting home until the next morning.

Chloe was in her pajamas, and her face changed the second she saw me.

"Decided to come home, did you?"

I didn't answer her.

One night was all it took for me to figure a lot of things out.

"Last night, at our engagement party, did you go see Jason?"

Not even a heads-up, like she was afraid I’d try to stop her.

Chloe looked at me in disbelief. "Who told you that?"

"You answer my question first."

After a long pause, Chloe finally nodded, but her tone was completely casual.

"Sorry, I didn't realize it would take that long."

She tried to come hug me but was stopped by the cold look on my face.

"Leo, do you really have to be so petty?"

"You told me to my face that Jason broke your heart, then you turn around and see him seven or eight times in one month."

I looked her straight in the eye.

"And you really think I'm the one being petty?"

Chloe was clearly getting pissed off.

"To me, he's just a regular friend."

I ignored her and walked toward the bedroom.

There was a small, red mark on her neck.

Chloe felt my gaze and quickly pulled her collar up.

"Leo, he's got nothing right now. Last night, he just asked me to help him find a place, get settled here in the city."

So, obviously, this meant they were planning to see each other all the time.

For a second, I felt like Chloe was wrapped in a shell of lies.

"Chloe, we're done."