After my parents died, I was taken in by the Millers—my father’s closest friends. On my 16th birthday, Caleb Miller got drunk and kissed me, whispering that I wasn't allowed to love anyone else. At 18, he talked me into spending the night with him, promising we’d be tangled together for a lifetime. At 24, I wanted a wedding. But he told me he wasn't the marrying type. After a month of silence, our mutual friends threw a party to try and fix us. That night, Caleb showed up with a girl who looked barely twenty. She had a shy, timid smile that looked exactly like mine did when I was eighteen. Our friend slammed his glass down: "What the hell is Elena to you then, Caleb?" Caleb just scoffed. "Why are you guys overreacting?" "Elena is like a sister to me. Just because she’s lived under my roof for years doesn't mean I have to put a ring on her finger, right?" 1 As he spoke, he leaned down and kissed the girl's hair. He looked around the room. "And don't start rumors about me and Elena. I don't want my girlfriend getting the wrong idea." "She’s young. She’s hard to soothe when she’s upset." Across from him, Silas, who had grown up with us, gritted his teeth. "Caleb, is this some kind of sick joke?" Everyone knew the truth about us. Silas was the only one brave enough to call him out. Caleb ignored him, casually lighting a cigarette. His face remained cold. "Silas, since when did you and Elena get so close? Since when do you handle her battles?" His gaze flicked to me for a fraction of a second before he turned back to pinch his girlfriend’s cheek. "Baby, go wait for me outside. It’s too loud in here. I’ll take you somewhere else in a bit." The girl nodded timidly and left. Once the door clicked shut, Caleb leaned back and stared at me. "Elena, it was a mutual thing. You keep dragging our friends into this to pressure me into a proposal. Don't you think that’s pathetic?" Before I could find my voice, he blew a smoke ring and smiled darkly. "I never actually called you my girlfriend, did I?" I looked at the face I had loved for eight years and felt a sudden, chilling sense of vertigo. He was a stranger. Silas stood up, ready to swing. "Are you even human, Caleb?" I held Silas back, my fingers trembling. Caleb’s eyes turned icy. "You want her that bad, Silas? Fine. I’m done with her. She’s all yours." "After all these years, I’m bored. I’m sure she is too." The sound of a glass shattering echoed through the room. It was Cillian, sitting silently in the corner. 2 Cillian was the "Ice King" of our group. When I first arrived at the Millers' at twelve, he was the one who intimidated me most. He was always stoic, always wearing a suit, always a man of few words. Whether Caleb and I were making out or screaming at each other, Cillian never reacted. Until now. He looked at Caleb with a terrifying stillness. "You’ve crossed the line." "Oh? Are you going to lecture me too?" Caleb sneered. "I didn't realize everyone was so invested in my family business. Elena, I should praise you. You’ve got them all wrapped around your finger." He had said those exact words to me when I was sixteen. He had found a love letter in my backpack. It was my birthday. He had looked at me with a smirk. "The valedictorian wrote this? How poetic." But when the party ended, he cornered me in my room. He pinned me against the door and kissed me—a soft, hungry theft of breath. "Elena," he had whispered into the crook of my neck, "Don't you dare love anyone else. You're mine. Only mine." Back then, he sounded like a desperate boy. Now, looking at him, the contrast was so violent it made my chest ache. I knew it was over. "Caleb, since everyone is here... let’s settle this once and for all." He crushed his cigarette. "Go ahead." My eyes were burning, but I forced myself to look at him. "You’re right. We aren't anything." "From now on, we stay out of each other's lives." Caleb’s grip on his glass tightened until his knuckles turned white. "You’re cutting me off, Elena?" "You have a girlfriend," I said, my voice steady despite the chaos in my heart. "Keeping your distance from other women is just common sense, isn't it?" 3 I remembered being seventeen, bringing him a change of clothes after practice. I had caught the head cheerleader cornering him in the locker room. "Caleb, I’ve liked you since middle school. Just give me a chance." I had hidden in the hallway, listening. "What does you liking me have to do with me?" Caleb’s voice was cold. "Move." "Don't be mean," she pleaded, tears welling up. "It hurts my feelings." Caleb didn't soften. He pulled his hand away and looked down at her. "I have someone I love. Keeping my distance is common sense, isn't it?" The girl froze. "Go. If the girl I love sees this, she’ll get jealous. And she’s impossible to soothe." I had watched her run away, thinking Caleb was ruthless. But then he had found me and wrapped his arms around me from behind. "Did you see enough? Aren't you going to thank me?" "You're cruel," I whispered. He laughed, a rogue's grin on his face. "Elena, I only love you. So you better only love me. Got it?" He kissed me then, and I tasted mint and adrenaline. It was the first time I felt what it was like to be someone's absolute priority. 4 Caleb must have remembered that day too. He fell silent, his jaw tight. I walked over to him and slid the ring off my finger. He had given it to me when I turned 22. He told me it was a family heirloom from his mother. A promise. "Here," I said, placing it on the table. "You should have this back." His lips trembled. "I don't take back gifts." "It’s not appropriate anymore." He stood up abruptly, not looking at the ring, not looking at me. "My girlfriend is waiting." It looked like a retreat. The room fell into a heavy silence. Silas tried to comfort me. "Elena, he’s just acting out. He’s throwing a tantrum." A tantrum? A month ago, right here, I had been ready to propose to him. During a game of Truth or Dare, he picked Truth. I asked him, "Have you ever thought about marriage?" Under the dim lights, Caleb’s expression had gone blank. "Never. Marriage sounds like a prison." I had frozen. Because I had made it public, he was furious. He left early that night. Now I realized he didn't fear marriage. He just didn't want to marry me. We started without a definition, and now, we were ending without a goodbye. 5 Cillian drove me home. He was quiet, and I wasn't in the mood for small talk. Suddenly, Silas called. "Elena! Caleb got into a fight! He’s at the bar!" By the time we got there, the dust had settled. I saw Caleb from across the room. Whether it was the adrenaline or the gin, his face was flushed. He was sitting on a velvet sofa, pulling his new girlfriend into his lap. She tucked her head into his chest, and he tilted her chin up to kiss her. Someone who knew us asked, "Caleb, I thought you and Elena were getting serious? Who’s the kid?" Caleb’s face darkened instantly. "Who said I was marrying her?" The guy stammered, "But... this girl looks exactly like Elena—" Caleb slammed his drink down. "Don't mention that name in front of me again. If you do, leave." "From now on, this is your sister-in-law. Say hi." The crowd went silent. No one could bring themselves to address the teenager in his lap. I turned and walked out. I bumped into Silas at the door. "Is he okay? Does he need a hospital?" Silas looked inside and saw Caleb nuzzling the girl's neck—the same way he used to nuzzle mine. Silas walked back out, swearing under his breath. 6 I didn't let them drive me home. I walked along the river, memories hitting me like waves. 18 years old. Caleb had promised we’d be together forever. He was the "bad boy" of the school, but for me, he quit every dangerous hobby. He followed me to the same university. He was the "gold standard" boyfriend. When his parents found out about us at 21, his father nearly disowned him. Caleb stood his ground, telling them he was serious about me. He got the ring from his mother and slid it on my finger. "You're a Miller now." Silas had asked him once if he’d ever change his mind. Caleb had kicked him. "Only if I’m dead." Last year, we passed the "seven-year itch." He held me and said his love was undying. I was the slow-burn type. It took me years to fully open my heart, but once I did, I loved for the long haul. And now, he had moved on, and I was stuck in the past. I remembered taking him to my parents' graves. He held my hand and promised them: "I’ll take care of her for the rest of my life." I guess "the rest of his life" only lasted eight years. I wiped the cold tears from my face. My phone buzzed. An email from Doctors Without Borders. My application was approved. I leave in one week. 7 It was my dream. I had been afraid to tell him, afraid of the distance. Now, it wasn't a problem anymore. The next day, at the hospital, I saw them. The girl was crying in the ER, huddled in Caleb’s arms. "Caleb, it hurts. I shouldn't have done that last night." Caleb looked frustrated but tried to soothe her. "My fault." The doctor sighed. "A ruptured ovarian cyst. You young people need to be more... careful. She's only 18." I felt a wave of nausea so strong I thought I’d vomit. "Dr. Lin?" A nurse walked up. "You okay? Did you skip breakfast again?" I shook my head, but Caleb had already spotted me. He lunged forward and grabbed my arm. "Why haven't you eaten?" He looked genuinely worried. "You’re going to pass out again. Elena, take care of yourself!" He fumbled in his bag and shoved a chocolate bar into my hand. In college, he used to supervise every meal I had because I’d forget to eat during labs. When I fainted once junior year, he stayed by my bed with tears in his eyes. "Elena, you’re going to be the death of me!" Since then, he always kept snacks on him. Just in case. "Caleb... it hurts..." The girl’s whimpering voice snapped me back. I pushed Caleb away. "Your girlfriend needs you." I turned and walked into my shift. 8 It was pouring when I got off work. I saw Caleb leaning against his car, smoking under a black umbrella. He saw me and put out the cigarette. "I’ll give you a ride." "No thanks." He bit his lip. "Aren't you going to ask me about this morning?" "I’m not interested in other people’s business." "Elena! Do you have to talk to me like that?" "Caleb, I can’t be friends with an ex. It’s over. Let's keep some dignity." "You think I’m chasing you? You’re awfully conceited, Elena." His fingers were white on the umbrella handle. "Good. Let’s keep it that way." I moved to open my Uber door, but he caught my wrist. "Tomorrow is my parents' 30th anniversary. They want you there." The Millers had been my family. They treated me like a daughter. "I’ll be there." "Elena... we haven't told them we broke up yet. Please. Just for tomorrow." I nodded. "Fine."
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