"But this time, I beat you to it."

He dangled the keychain, a cheap plastic heart with our initials clumsily carved into it. It looked like something you'd find at a gas station checkout—tacky and completely not my style.

"One month anniversary," he said, his smile disarmingly sweet.

I blinked, taking an involuntary step back. "You didn't have to do this."

"Why not?" He closed the distance between us, his voice low and magnetic. "Imagine it," he murmured, "At the bonfire tomorrow, we show up with these. Everyone will know we're a couple."

I opened my mouth, a wave of nausea rising in my throat, but I swallowed the words.

He noticed my hesitation and chuckled softly. "I get it. I can't afford anything expensive; this is just a small gesture. You're not going to look down on it, are you?"

He paused, his words hanging in the air like a vow. "One day, I'll buy you the real thing."

Before I could object, he had already taken my backpack and clipped the keychain to the zipper, his fingers intentionally brushing the back of my hand.

I looked down, silent.

A bitter taste flooded my mouth.

We don't have a "one day," Nathaniel.

The next day, at the bonfire party.

Nathaniel led me in. The beach was already buzzing with energy.

"Look who finally showed up!" someone shouted upon seeing us.

"Seriously? You guys are so cute it's actually painful for the rest of us!"

"Damn, Cassie, you really snagged a catch," another guy from school laughed, tapping his beer bottle. "Nathaniel wouldn't give most girls in this school the time of day."

"And it's not just that Nathaniel is handsome. Cassie is just as amazing: valedictorian and got into Yale. They're a match made in heaven!" my best friend giggled.

The beach filled with excited cheers, and someone yelled, "Kiss! Kiss! Make it official!"

Nathaniel flashed his signature easygoing grin, one arm draped over my shoulder. "Whoa, easy there," he laughed. "Let's not give away the whole show at once."

"Oh, don't be shy!"

"Just one kiss, to seal the deal!"

The catcalls echoed around us.

I looked down, forcing a smile.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Blair's face twist into a grimace of fury.

She bit her lip, staring daggers at us, then made an excuse and slipped away. "I'm going to get a drink."

Nathaniel, who had been pretending not to notice her, immediately followed.

I slipped away from the crowd, making my way along the shore toward a shadowed cluster of rocks. And just as I suspected, they were there. Blair stood with a furious expression while Nathaniel followed her out.

"You just had to flaunt your relationship in my face, didn't you?" Blair's voice was cold, sharp with a jealousy she couldn't quite conceal. "And you gave her a matching keychain? Are you trying to make me puke?"

Nathaniel reached for her hand, his voice low and placating. "Haven't I explained this? It's all an act to keep her hooked. The higher I build her up, the harder she'll fall."

He paused, then added comfortingly, "Besides, what's a cheap keychain?"

He took off his lacrosse varsity jacket and draped it over her shoulders with a meaningful look. "This is what really matters," he said.

I hid in the shadows, staring at the patch on the jacket's chest.

It was the custom patch I had spent nights designing for him.

I hadn't forgotten our one-month anniversary. In fact, I'd put a lot of thought into his surprise.

It wasn't until I heard that recording that I left the patch on the table with the key he had given me.

But he had draped that jacket over Blair's shoulders, while fobbing me off with a piece of plastic that cost a few dollars.

It was laughable.

Just like the twisted love triangle we were in.

I love him. And he loves her. How pathetic is that?

The party games were in full swing, and someone suggested a bragging game of 'I have something you don't.' We sat in a circle, each person boasting about their greatest accomplishment.

When it was Blair's turn, she gracefully held her drink, a sly smile on her lips. She deliberately stroked the varsity jacket on her shoulders and announced in a sickly sweet voice, "I have a man who'd do anything for me. Anything."

The circle erupted in jeers and laughter. "Come on, Blair, that's not fair! You're the cheer captain; the line of guys after you could stretch out of town!"

Everyone was laughing and joking, but I was staring intently at the jacket on her shoulders.

The message was crystal clear.

I used to think my rivalry with Blair was just about who was more popular. Now, I understood the truth.

What she wanted was to completely crush me.

Then, it was my turn.

I raised my eyes and said in a cool, detached voice, "I'll be speaking at Yale's opening ceremony as the incoming class representative."

The crowd erupted in a mix of cheers and playful groans. "Okay, that's a serious flex! How's anyone supposed to follow that?"

But I couldn't smile. My eyes were locked on Blair. I paused deliberately, then asked, "And you? Can you do that?"

Her smile froze, her cheeks flushing with anger. After a tense moment, she bit her lip and reluctantly chugged her drink as a penalty. The jacket crumpled under her clenched fist.

Not long after, Blair stormed away from the group, and, predictably, Nathaniel followed her.

I stood up and followed them from a distance.

In the darkness, away from the bonfire, Blair's voice was thick with tears. "Cassie did that on purpose to provoke me! Didn't you hear her? She wanted to humiliate me!"

Nathaniel's voice was gentle, trying to soothe her. "I don't think she meant it like that. Don't overthink it."

"You're taking her side?" Blair's voice sharpened, her tone shifting to a flirtatious challenge. "Then maybe you shouldn't be with me at all."

Nathaniel immediately panicked. He grabbed her hand urgently. "It's not like that at all. You're the most important one. You're the only one I care about."

Seeing his reaction, a flicker of triumphant satisfaction crossed Blair's eyes. "Then prove it," she cooed, moving closer. "Tonight. Get a few of your friends together. I want a video of her for the party tomorrow. I want her so humiliated in front of the whole town that Yale yanks her acceptance."

Hidden in the shadows, my heart pounded in my chest.

A sliver of hope cut through me. I prayed he would refuse, or at least hesitate.

Because just yesterday, he had held me and told me he loved me.

Nathaniel lowered his head and was silent for what felt like an eternity.

But Blair knew how to play him. She leaned in and kissed him. "Nathaniel, if you agree, I'm all yours for the rest of the night."

The moment she finished, Nathaniel pulled her into a fierce embrace. "Don't worry," he breathed, his voice thick with desire. "I'll do anything for you. Once that video gets out, she's done."

The warmth of summer still lingered in the air.

But a bone-deep chill settled in my heart.

"Cassie, have a drink with me?"

Back at the bonfire, Nathaniel's voice was laced with false tenderness. "We'll be going our separate ways soon. Summer is almost over."

I kept my head down, silent.

He let out a wistful sigh. "I know we can't be at the same school, but... at least we could have been in the same state, right?"