Chapter 3

Chloe's answer was quick, too quick. It was the same practiced response she always gave when I got insecure.

"We should go to the party," she said, changing the subject. She grabbed my hand, her grip tight. "It'll be fun. We need a break."

She was practically buzzing with an energy I hadn't seen in days. I noticed she was already wearing a new bracelet, a delicate silver chain with a small charm. It matched the watch Liam had bought for himself. He must have gotten it for her.

I remembered all the times I had questioned her closeness with Liam. She would always laugh it off, telling me they were just friends, that I was her world. She would kiss me and pull me close, and like a fool, I would believe her. I would let the warmth of her body erase all my doubts.

Not anymore.

The party at Liam's lake house was exactly what I expected. It was a chaotic mess of rich kids, loud music, and expensive alcohol. Chloe immediately left my side and went straight to Liam.

"Liam, you're such a mess!" she said, her voice full of fond exasperation as she started picking up empty bottles around him.

Liam was arguing with his on-again, off-again girlfriend, some blonde girl whose name I could never remember. I stood back and watched, a ghost at a party I didn't belong to.

"What's wrong with him?" I asked one of Liam's friends, a guy named Mark.

"His dad cut him off again," Mark said with a shrug. "He spent too much on his new car. Now he's broke until his birthday."

I looked at Liam, at his designer clothes and the expensive watch on his wrist. Broke for him meant something very different than broke for me. I noticed the logo on his t-shirt, a brand I knew cost hundreds of dollars. The same brand Chloe had told me was "tacky" when I pointed it out in a magazine once.

It was all so clear now.

I decided not to intervene. I found a quiet corner on the deck and just watched.

Chloe was a master at work. She soothed Liam's ego, laughed at his jokes, and brought him drinks. She was a perfect picture of devotion. A devotion that was never meant for me.

Later, she led me away from the main party, down a path toward the water.

"Let's go for a boat ride," she said, her voice bright. "Just the two of us."

We got to the private dock. It was strangely quiet. The lake was still, the water like black glass. I realized the area was empty. She must have arranged this.

She had a small picnic basket with a bottle of wine and two glasses. A surprise. I watched her set it up, my heart a block of ice in my chest.

While she was busy, I walked to the edge of the dock. My foot slipped on a wet patch. I stumbled, lost my balance, and pitched forward into the cold, dark water.

The shock of the cold was instant and brutal. I flailed, my clothes dragging me down. I wasn't a strong swimmer.

I saw Chloe's face above me, her eyes wide with shock. Then, her gaze shifted. Liam was running down the dock, shouting my name.

He dove in without a second's thought. But Chloe didn't even look at me. She was already swimming, but not toward me. She was swimming toward Liam, screaming his name. "Liam! Are you okay? Liam!"

She completely ignored me, the person who was actually drowning.