Chapter 1

Before my neighbor, Dylan Price, left for college, he stopped me in my tracks. His head was bowed, ears flushed crimson, as he mumbled, "Can I be your boyfriend?"

I simply turned away, tossing over my shoulder, "I like *mature* men."

Five years later, he pinned me against a wall, his hand cupping my chin, forcing me to look away—

My boyfriend was intimately wrapping his arm around another woman’s waist, leisurely browsing in a luxury store.

"Is *that* the mature man you like, Avery?" Dylan whispered, his hot breath making my scalp prickle.

I stared at the cheating couple in the luxury store. After a moment's thought, I pulled out my phone and snapped a few damning photos.

Dylan was already standing straight, hands tucked into his pockets, looking down at me with an almost smug air. "Avery, your taste is *shockingly* bad."

I rolled my eyes at him, utterly annoyed, and made to leave.

But he followed me. "You're just going to let it go? Avery, that's not like you."

"Just a moment ago it was 'sis, sis,' and now it's just 'Avery Hayes'?" I shot back, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Sis? You *like* hearing me call you that, don't you? Hmm? My sweet sis?" Dylan suddenly closed the distance, blocking my path. He leaned in, meeting my gaze, a faint, almost predatory smile playing on his lips, his eyes holding a complex mix of emotions I couldn't quite decipher.

He'd grown taller, leaner. He was no longer the shy, introverted kid from five years ago.

I stiffened, choosing to ignore his provocative question. "Is this why you asked me out today?"

"Yeah."

"How did you know?"

"Your boyfriend brought that woman to *our* hospital for a check-up, and I happened to be responsible for them. I overheard them talking about coming here to shop today."

"Oh." I felt apathetic. I already knew Blake was cheating. More than once.

Dylan seemed to grow angry. "Avery, he's cheating on you! He's not good to you!"

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you." I replied, feigning indifference.

Dylan seemed to be thoroughly infuriated by my lack of concern, his chest heaving.

He grabbed my arm, preventing me from leaving, his eyes blazing with anger as he glared at me.

Thankfully, an urgent call from the hospital pulled him away. Otherwise, who knows how long we would have been stuck there.

Before he left, Dylan gritted his teeth and asked, "You'd rather stick with *him* than ever give me a chance, wouldn't you?"

I stayed silent, offering no reply even as he walked away. Only when his back was to me did I finally let out a shaky breath. The truth was, I wasn't nearly as composed as I tried to appear.

Back home, a message from an unknown number made my stomach churn: "Avery, had to work late again today. Boohoo, missing you already!"

It was Blake.

A month ago, the first time I caught him cheating, I broke up with him. He refused. Since then, he'd been incessantly bothering me. Annoyed beyond belief, I'd blocked him on every platform. But he kept finding new numbers to harass me with.

I went through my familiar routine: delete, then block, before tossing my phone aside.

I felt restless today, a strange numbness in my chest, like everything was just… off.

I knew the source of my turmoil wasn't Blake. It was… Dylan.

This reunion was completely unexpected. After I rejected him that year, Dylan and I hadn't exchanged a single word. Even when I went home for the holidays, and our families, living across the hall from each other, inevitably crossed paths, he'd act as if I were invisible.

Why did he suddenly bring me here to catch Blake in the act?