Chapter 1:

"Tyler, are you even listening to me?"

I barely glanced up from my laptop. My mom stood in the doorway of my room, arms crossed, wearing her usual "you're going to listen to me whether you like it or not" expression.

"Yeah, Mom, I'm listening," I mumbled, though I hadn't caught more than half of what she'd been saying. Something about a family party.

"Well?" she pressed, stepping inside and leaning against my desk.

I sighed and rubbed the bridge of my nose. "Well, what?"

"I said," she repeated, her tone sharper, "that you should come with us this weekend. It's been ages since you've been to a family event, and there's going to be plenty of nice girls there. You never know, you might meet the woman of your dreams."

I stared at her, dumbfounded. "The woman of my dreams? Mom, I already have a girlfriend."

Her brow arched. "Alexis?"

"Yes, Alexis," I said, sitting up straighter. "You know, the girl I've been dating for two years? The one you met at Thanksgiving? My girlfriend?"

Mom waved her hand dismissively. "She's nice, but—"

"No buts," I cut in, already feeling my temper rise. "Alexis and I are perfect together. Everyone says so. People literally tell us all the time how good we look together. Why would I go to some random party to meet someone else?"

"I'm just saying you shouldn't close yourself off," she said, her voice softening. "Sometimes what we think is perfect isn't—"

"Mom, stop," I snapped, pushing my chair back and standing. "I'm not leaving Alexis. We're happy. We're good. And no offense, but I don't need you or anyone else trying to tell me otherwise."

She opened her mouth, but I didn't wait to hear whatever she was going to say. I stormed past her, out of my room, and into the hall.

I spent the rest of the evening in my room, halfheartedly studying for my chem midterm. Mom hadn't brought up the party again, but I could still feel her disapproval lingering in the back of my mind. It was annoying, sure, but I wasn't about to let it ruin my night.

That's when the first text came.

My phone buzzed on the desk, and I reached for it without thinking.

"Your girlfriend is cheating on you."

I blinked at the screen, then laughed out loud.

"What the hell?" I muttered, shaking my head.

It had to be a prank. Or spam. Alexis? Cheating? Not a chance. She was everything I could ever want in a girlfriend—beautiful, smart, loyal. We weren't just a couple; we were the couple. The one people envied.

I tossed my phone aside and went back to my notes.

But the second text came the next night.

"If you think I'm lying, come to the football team's party tonight."

This time, I couldn't shake it off so easily.

I sat on my bed, staring at the message, my stomach twisting. The words sat there on the screen, mocking me.

What if it was true?

I didn't want to believe it. I couldn't believe it. But I also couldn't ignore the knot in my chest.

Before I knew it, I was pulling on my jacket and grabbing my keys.

The party was chaos.

The music was so loud the floor practically vibrated, and the smell of beer and sweat was enough to make me gag. People were everywhere, talking, laughing, making out in corners.

I moved through the crowd, searching for Alexis. She wasn't in the kitchen. She wasn't out on the porch. And she wasn't in the living room, where a group of drunk guys were singing off-key to some throwback pop song.

That's when I heard it—a muffled laugh, soft and familiar, coming from upstairs.

My heart raced as I climbed the stairs.

I told myself it wasn't her. It couldn't be her.

But as I reached the top, I heard it again. This time, it wasn't just a laugh. It was a giggle, followed by a low voice.

I followed the sound to the end of the hall, to a door that was cracked open just enough for me to see inside.

I didn't want to look.

But I did.

And there she was.

Alexis.

With Logan Carter.

My stomach dropped, and the world around me blurred.

They were tangled together on the bed, her blond hair spilling across the pillows as he kissed her neck. For a second, I couldn't move. I just stood there, frozen, my brain refusing to process what I was seeing.

Then Alexis turned her head, and her eyes met mine.

"Tyler—" she gasped, scrambling to pull the blanket around her.

My vision tunneled. Everything around me faded except for the two of them.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I barked, shoving the door open.

Logan sat up, his smirk already plastered across his face. "Whoa, relax, man."

"Relax?" I snapped, stepping closer. "You think this is funny?"

"I think," Logan said, leaning back casually, "you should ask your girlfriend how this happened."

"Shut up," I growled, turning to Alexis. "Why?" My voice cracked, the single word carrying all the pain I couldn't put into sentences. "Why would you do this to me?"

Her lips trembled. "Tyler, I—"

"Don't." I held up a hand, shaking my head. "Just don't."

I couldn't stop staring at her. Her face was pale, her hands clutching the blanket like it was the only thing keeping her grounded. She looked scared, but I couldn't bring myself to care.

"Why?" I asked again, my voice trembling. "After everything we've been through, after everything I've done for you—why this?"

She wouldn't look at me. Her fingers twisted the edge of the blanket, and when she finally spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper. "It wasn't supposed to mean anything."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut.

"Mean anything?" I repeated, laughing bitterly. "That's your excuse? You were in bed with him, Alexis. Him." I jabbed a finger toward Logan, who was still lounging on the bed like this was some kind of joke.

"I'm sorry," she said, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I didn't think you'd find out."

"That's your apology?" My voice rose, cracking with every word. "You're not sorry you did it—you're just sorry you got caught."

She flinched, and for a moment, I thought she might say something else. But instead, she just sat there, silent, her tears falling faster now.

The sound of Logan clearing his throat snapped me back to reality.

"You know," he said, his smirk growing wider, "this is probably the part where I should feel bad. But honestly?" He shrugged. "She came to me. Not the other way around."

That did it.

I lunged at him, grabbing his shirt and yanking him off the bed. "You think this is funny?" I shouted, shoving him against the wall. "You think you can just ruin everything and walk away?"

Logan didn't flinch. If anything, he looked amused, like I was some angry little kid throwing a tantrum. "Face it, Tyler," he said, his voice low. "She wasn't as loyal as you thought."

His words sank in, deeper and sharper than any punch could have. My grip loosened, and I stumbled back, my chest heaving.

I turned to Alexis one last time. "We're done," I said, my voice hollow. "I don't care what excuse you come up with—I'm done with you."