Chapter 3

Harper's POV

One AM at JFK, and the lounge AC was cranked up like a meat locker.

I sat on a stool in the corner, cold coffee in front of me. The red-eye didn't draw crowds—the whole lounge was empty enough to hear the air vents humming.

My phone screen glowed. Digital boarding pass, destination LAX, departure 2:15 AM.

Three hours since I'd left Madison Square Garden. Three hours of silence. Caleb hadn't called once. Hadn't texted.

I took a sip of cold coffee. Bitter as hell.

My phone buzzed.

I thought it was him. Looked down—Sarah.

"You okay?" Her voice was tight. "I just saw Paige's Instagram."

"What?"

"Just look." She paused. "Harper, where are you? If you're alone right now, I'm coming to get you."

"JFK. Waiting for my flight."

"Don't move." I heard her rustling around. "I'm sending it."

Another buzz. A screenshot.

Paige's latest post. Stage lights in the background, nine photos, the middle one showing her and Caleb together. She leaned on his shoulder, eyes crinkled with laughter. He was looking at her with that expression—I knew it too well. The caption was just two lines:

Some nights just hit different ��

Thank you for being my person @caleb_hayes

Over two hundred comments already. All variations of "you two are perfect" "is this your boyfriend?" "just make it official."

She didn't deny a single one. Just left it hanging there, letting everyone else say it for her.

I stared at that photo. Long enough that Sarah called back.

"Did you see?"

"Yeah."

"He just LET her post that?" Sarah's voice shook. "Harper, those were YOUR tickets. Your five-year anniversary. In front of twenty thousand people—"

"Sarah." I cut her off. "I know."

Silence. She knew that tone.

"If you even think about making excuses for him," she finally said, "I swear we're done. For good."

I laughed. First real laugh all night.

"I'm not," I said. "Not anymore. Not one."

I hung up and set my phone face-down. Picked up that cold coffee.

Strange thing was, I wasn't thinking about the big stuff. Just the small things. The ones I'd told myself didn't matter.

Christmas Eve two years ago. I'd cooked all day, waiting until nine when he texted—something came up at work, eat without him. Found out the next day he'd been helping Paige move because she was "scared to carry boxes alone."

My birthday last year. Restaurant booked two weeks out. That afternoon he texted—investor dinner, can't get out of it. I cancelled, bought a single cupcake from the bakery downstairs, ate it on a park bench. Later found out there was no investor. Paige had broken up with her boyfriend, called him crying. He stayed till midnight.

The worst fight we'd had. I asked if he even knew who his girlfriend was. He stared at me for a long time. "Harper, don't make this ugly."

After that, I stopped fighting. Because every single time, I was the one apologizing. Eventually I couldn't tell—was I angry at him? Or at myself for always backing down?

I'd never told anyone these things. Now they came back sharp and clear.

"Now let's see which lucky couple our camera's found tonight!"

The TV above the bar exploded with cheers.

I looked up.

Kiss Cam. Nova's most famous bit.

The camera swept through the crowd, pausing on couple after couple. Each time it landed, the stadium erupted. Couples kissing, crowd screaming.

"Oh! Looks like we've got a gorgeous pair in VIP!"

My breath stopped.

The frame froze on the front row. In high definition, Caleb's face filled the screen. Next to him sat Paige, blushing with practiced shyness.

The crowd went wild. A pink heart border appeared around them.

Paige covered her mouth in fake surprise, glanced at the jumbotron, then turned to Caleb. Waiting.

Caleb froze. He stared at the camera, brow furrowed. Hesitating.

"KISS! KISS! KISS!"

Twenty thousand voices poured through the TV into my ears.

I stared at the screen. Nails dug into my palm.

Caleb, push her away. Tell them. Tell them you're ENGAGED.

Caleb didn't move.

Paige did. In the roar of the crowd, she leaned up, hands sliding around his neck, and pressed her lips to his.

Caleb went rigid.

He didn't push her away.

A few seconds later, he lowered his head and kissed her back.

The stadium exploded. The camera zoomed in, holding on their faces for ten full seconds.

Those were the tickets I'd bought him. The seats I'd begged for. My five years.

And now that seat held him and someone else.

I sat there staring blankly. I didn't cry. But my stomach dropped hard.

Then my phone buzzed.

Unknown number.

I knew who it was.

Deep breath. I answered.

"Harper." Concert noise roared behind him. His voice was sharp. "Why'd you block me? Where the hell are you?"

"I saw it on TV," I said. "Saw you kiss her."

Dead silence.

Several seconds passed. Then his voice came back, guilty. "Look, just—let me explain, okay? It was part of the show. The camera landed on us out of nowhere, twenty thousand people watching. Paige's emotional state is already so fragile. If I'd pushed her away in front of everyone, she would've completely broken down. I didn't want to humiliate her like that."

"So you didn't mind humiliating me instead?"

"Jesus, can you stop making everything a big deal?" His impatience flared fast. "I TOLD you it was an accident. I already had my assistant order that bag for you. What more do you want? This tantrum thing has got to stop. Come home right now. I'll be back soon as the concert ends."

"Caleb."

I cut him off.

"You always told me to be independent. To be understanding." I paused. "Well, guess what? I finally learned."

"The hell does that mean?" His voice dropped. "You don't want to push me right now, Harper."

"The Kiss Cam caught everything. When that camera was on you, you had three full seconds to push her away."

Silence.

"You didn't," I said. "So don't tell me you're confused anymore."

"Harper! If you hang up on me—"

I hung up.

Then blocked that number too.

"Delta flight 452 to Los Angeles now boarding at gate twelve. All passengers please proceed to gate twelve."

I stood, grabbed my suitcase, tossed that cold coffee in the trash.

Didn't look back at the screen.

Turned and walked toward the gate.