I laughed—the angry kind, where nothing's funny. Curtis had never once bought me anything that expensive. Whenever he'd hinted at some surprise, I'd always told him not to spend the money.
He was frowning at me now, as if I were the one who'd made this into a mess again.
When I stayed silent, Gretchen jumped right in:
"I just asked her to hop on my Instagram Live for a second, and she smashed my phone! Didn't even say a word first! Curtis, please just break up with her, I can't do this anymore!"
I kept my head down, rubbing the red welts where she'd pinched my wrist, and caught Curtis walking toward me in my periphery. When he spoke, his voice was a cold I'd never heard from him.
"Imogen, is what Gretchen said true? Because if it is, you're apologizing to her. Today."
I looked up. There wasn't a trace of concern in his eyes—just deep exhaustion and irritation.
"And if I don't?"
He was quiet for a moment, like he was steeling himself.
"Then it's like Gretchen said. We're done."
I stared at him, my eyes so dry they burned, tears spilling out from the sheer strain of it.
"Breaking up. Because I won't apologize to Gretchen Winfield?"
We were locked there, neither of us moving. In the end, I forced a smile onto my face just so I wouldn't look as wrecked as I felt.
"Fine. Then let's break up."
"Curtis—I told you my father was a narcotics officer. His family can never be seen. Not on camera, not in public, not ever. Her Instagram Live had that many people watching—if someone came looking for payback, did you even think about what happens to us?"
The redness at the corners of my eyes was impossible to hide.
"Applying to the police academy together—that was a lie too, wasn't it? You backed out, and you dragged my future down with you!"
"You never cared about me, Curtis. Not once."
He went rigid, then grabbed for me.
I shoved his hand off hard and left. I didn't come back.
Another year, another enrollment season.
It wasn't until the very last day to check in that Curtis finally hauled Gretchen to the front of my building.
"I saw Imogen apply to the same school as us with my own eyes. If it weren't for you, I'd have already lost her."
He let out a breath.
"Whatever happened, you were in the wrong. I've already asked around. No student named Imogen Fox has checked in yet, and today's the deadline. She'll show up. When she does, you apologize properly. She's soft-hearted. She'll forgive you, and this whole thing will be over."
Gretchen nodded, looking aggrieved.
A neighbor was passing by on her way back from the market. She glanced at Curtis, half-recognizing him.
"Young man, are you here for Imogen?"
His eyes lit up, and he was just about to ask when she continued.
"The whole family moved overseas a few days ago. Very sudden. None of us saw it coming!"
Curtis stood rooted to the spot. It was a long time before he heard his own voice.
"Moved... overseas?"
