Roxanne deleted the video files from her computer, then dialed her father.
“Dad,” she said, forcing her voice to stay even. “I’ve been thinking…I’ll go to that blind date.”
There was a pause on the other end. “What about your boyfriend—the one and only man you’ll love?”
She swallowed hard, her voice light and breezy like nothing was wrong. “Yeah. I was dumb to ever fall for him. I see it now.”
“Okay,” Mr. Holbrook let out a sigh of relief. “I’ll find you a man a thousand times better than him, that’s handsome, smart, kind—all qualities that you fancy. Forget that heartbreaker boy and move on.”
Her throat tightened. She nodded through the tears. “Okay.”
“Don’t cry, okay? It’s your birthday!” His tone softened. “Did you get my present?”
“I did. I love it.”
After a few more words of comfort, he finally hung up.
Roxanne sat for a moment, staring at the custom-made amethyst bracelet on her wrist. She snapped a picture and posted it on social media.
[Love the birthday gift, Dad. Thank you.]
Her father liked the post immediately. Other friends and family followed with birthday wishes.
But there was nothing from Vincent.
Every other year, he was always the first to say happy birthday.
Feeling a little hollow, she was about to close the app when she saw a new post from him.
[Welcome home, Courtney.]
The photo showed him at the airport, arms wrapped around Courtney Buzolic.
[She’s back? You must be over the moon now that she’s back.]
[Of course, he’s over the moon. She’s his first and true love.]
His friends wrote in the comment sections.
Roxanne’s hand trembled.
She’d asked him countless times to post a picture of them together, just once. Show the world he was proud of her. He always refused.
Said he didn’t like posting on social media.
But clearly, it wasn’t about that.
He just didn’t want to post her.
She liked the post.
Then left a comment.
[His true love’s back? Then I guess it’s time the stand-in made her exit.]
Minutes later, the post vanished. Vincent didn’t explain. Didn’t text. Didn’t call.
It was like he never made that post.
A while later, a message popped up on her phone.
[Half an hour. Same place. See you there.]
“The same place” meant the restaurant called ‘The Meet’. It was where Vincent had first told her he loved her.
They’d spent every anniversary, every Valentine’s Day there since.
Roxanne’s heart skipped.
Maybe he hadn’t forgotten her birthday after all? Hope—a quiet, desperate kind—bubbled up in her chest as she drove there.
The private dining room door was cracked open.
Just as she reached for the handle, she heard a woman’s voice from inside.
“Vincent, are you really giving me this restaurant?!” Roxanne gasped.
Vincent replied, his voice soft and nostalgic. “Do you remember? This is where we always meet. I bought this place just to mark that day. No one else deserves it but you.”
Roxanne felt her whole world tilt. All those moments she thought were special—were they even about her? Was she just a proxy for someone else?
Her hand shook as she gripped the door and forced herself to breathe.
Then she pushed it open.
Vincent turned, startled. “Roxanne? What are you doing here?”
Like he didn’t expect her at all.
She frowned. “You ask me to come.”
Courtney tossed her hair with a smirk. “Sorry, that was me. I heard Vincent’s girlfriend looked like me and I was curious. Figured I’d invite you over myself. Hope you don’t mind.”
Her tone said “sorry,” but her eyes were full of challenge.
Roxanne didn’t blink. “I do mind. So… apologize!”
