Chapter 1My sister's got it bad for this guy. Twenty-five hours on a plane just to spend two hours with him on his birthday.
She looked at me. "You don't get it, Quinn. Every year, someone else is there for his birthday."
"I just wanna be the one. Just ONCE."
I didn't push it. What's the point?
Told my boyfriend about her crazy plan. He rolled his eyes.
"Flying overseas for some dude's birthday? Is she nuts?"
"Just let her go. You can't fix stupid."
Day after she landed, I saw her post.
Just one photo—guy's back turned to the camera.
Caption: happy birthday.
I stared at that picture.
The scar on his neck. Same as my boyfriend's.
The ring on his hand. Same as mine.
Then it hit me.
My sister's boyfriend? That's MY boyfriend!
She flew 25 hours to celebrate HIS birthday.
And me?
I was at home.
Planning our fucking wedding.
---
I kept zooming in on that photo. Checked it like ten times.
That was definitely Sawyer.
MY boyfriend.
And today? Also Sawyer's birthday.
He said we didn't need to celebrate. Said we'd do something when he got back.
Bullshit. He already celebrated—with HER.
With my own sister.
I didn't let it slide.
Screenshot. Sent it straight to Sawyer.
Took forever, but my phone finally lit up.
Not Sawyer, though. Cady.
[Sis! I'm with him now! Celebrating his bday~]
She sent a photo. Cake in the middle. His right hand in the frame.
That ring. Clear as day.
Sawyer got sent overseas for a year. Right before he left, he proposed. Said when he got back, we'd get married.
Guess we're not waiting anymore.
Guess we're not getting married at all.
I stared at our chat. Didn't reply. What was I supposed to say?
Hey, why are you screwing my fiancé?
I always knew Cady was seeing someone.
Just didn't know who.
She flew out two, three times a month this past year. Said she was "fighting for a chance."
I brought her up to Sawyer once. He just scoffed. "Girl's desperate. Who flies overseas for some guy?"
He always talked shit about her.
So stupid me, I never caught on.
Never thought about how she kept flying to his city.
Never asked why they had the same birthday.
Never imagined they'd end up together.
My phone buzzed.
Sawyer.
[What's this supposed to mean?]
He wasn't admitting it.
I typed back:
[That guy in her post. That's you, right?]
Long silence. Long enough I thought he wouldn't answer.
Then he called.
I picked up.
Neither of us said anything. Finally, he spoke first.
"Quinn. Let me explain when I get back."
So that was a yes.
I looked at the calendar on my desk. The 26th circled in red, marked with a star.
The day Sawyer was supposed to come home.
Two days from now.
He sighed. "Don't ask her about this. Please."
His tone? Protective.
My eyes burned. My voice came out rough. "Why not?"
He paused. "Quinn. Just wait till I'm back."
Right as he finished, I heard Cady's voice through the phone.
Soft, but clear enough.
"Sawyer? Is that Quinn calling?"
Sawyer's voice softened. "No."
"Just a friend."
I didn't wanna hear the rest.
Five years together. And to him, I was just "a friend."
I hung up.
Sawyer texted right after.
[Cady doesn't want me bringing you up. She'd feel guilty.]
I stared at that message.
Guilty? She feels guilty?
Then why the fuck is she with him?
I didn't respond.
That night, Cady posted again.
A photo of their hands, fingers laced together.
No caption.
I noticed Sawyer's ring was different now. Cady wore a matching one.
Someone commented:
[Wait, you guys got MARRIED?!]
Cady replied fast:
[Not married! He proposed yesterday. Birthday proposal~]
I stared at it forever.
If Sawyer already proposed to her, then I guess I'm done being his fiancée.
I didn't ask him. Didn't ask Cady either.
Just liked the post.
Five minutes later, Sawyer texted:
[She wanted to know what it felt like to be proposed to. It wasn't real.]
[Don't overthink it.]
I stared at those two messages. Typed back: "K."
That was it.
I turned off my phone, got up, grabbed water from the fridge.
When I closed the door, I saw the magnet Sawyer had custom-made.
[NO COLD WATER!]
I used to get killer cramps on my period. Sawyer hated seeing me drink cold stuff, so he got this magnet made. Stuck it right on the fridge.
I stared at it for a second.
Then ripped it off and tossed it in the trash.
Chapter 2
Sawyer came back with Cady.
"Quinn!" She ran over and hugged me, grinning. "Sawyer got back today too, so we flew in together."
I nodded. "Cool."
My eyes dropped to Cady's hand.
Still wearing that ring.
I looked at Sawyer. He'd already switched his back to the one he proposed to me with.
Cady frowned a little. "Quinn, you okay?"
She looked at me. Face calm. Not a trace of guilt.
Like nothing ever happened between her and Sawyer.
Except for that ring on her finger.
I took a step back. "I'm fine."
Cady froze for a second. Then went back to normal.
Sawyer cut in. "She's just worried about you."
I almost laughed.
Worried?
How the fuck could he say that?
"Oh yeah?" My tone was flat. "So worried she had to—"
"Quinn!" Sawyer snapped.
The words "fuck my fiancé" died in my throat.
I locked eyes with him. That look on his face? Like he was warning me to shut up. Made my chest hurt.
He couldn't even handle me saying it out loud.
He turned to Cady. Voice got soft. "Stay here. It's too late."
Cady glanced at me.
"Is that... okay?"
She shook her head. "Never mind. I should go."
Sawyer cut in. "Not safe this late. Leave tomorrow."
Cady stayed.
He didn't even look at me. Just told her to stay.
I didn't say anything. Just got up and went to the bedroom.
Ten minutes later, Sawyer came in.
Neither of us talked.
He lit up. Finished the cigarette. Voice came out rough.
"It's not like that."
"Cady never thought we'd really be together."
"Quinn, she's going through it too. She didn't want this."
I stared at him. Said nothing.
My own sister. Sleeping with my boyfriend.
And he's saying SHE'S hurting?
"What about me?"
Sawyer went quiet. Looked away. "Quinn. Just give us a little more time."
"When did it start?"
His face shifted. "Seven months ago."
So five months after he left.
That's when Cady started flying out two or three times a month. Every time she came back, she looked like shit. Locked herself in her room all day.
Sawyer closed his eyes. Opened them. Looked at me.
"I said no at first. But..."
He stopped. Didn't finish. Just said, "Quinn. One more month. Okay?"
"Just give her time to move on."
I looked at him. For the first time, he felt like a stranger. Like I didn't even know him.
"No." I barely got the words out. "Sawyer, if she's hurting that bad? Go be with her."
Then ripped the ring off and tossed it on the table.
"We're done."
Sawyer just froze. Went completely pale.
"You wanna break up?"
"Yep. Now you two don't have to hide. Go wear that ring with her."
"Quinn, stop." His voice got quiet. "Cady wasn't trying to steal anything. You're blowing this up. Just wait. It'll be fine."
I laughed.
Felt like my chest was collapsing.
"Fine?" I stared at him. "Like what—you dump her, I pretend this never happened, and we just get married?"
"Sawyer, I can't do that."
"I can't just forget this."
My boyfriend fucked my sister. How the hell am I supposed to understand that?
Sawyer's face twisted up.
"Then what the fuck do you want? Cady's a mess. Quinn, can't you cut her some slack?"
I just stared at him.
Cut her slack? For what?
For flying out every month to see him? Eating with him, going on dates, letting him propose?
"Sawyer, I can't."
"My sister's fucking my boyfriend. How am I supposed to be okay with that?"
I closed my eyes. Opened them. "Sawyer. We're done."
The door flew open.
Cady stood there, eyes all puffy, tears everywhere. "Quinn, it's my fault. Not Sawyer's. I liked him first. I kept going after him..."
Her voice was shaking. Tears wouldn't stop.
"But I swear I didn't wanna take him from you. I know it's fucked up. I just—I couldn't stop myself."
"I regret it every night. I wanted to tell you."
Chapter 3
Sawyer walked over and pulled her in.
Hurt like hell to watch.
"Quinn, I'll break up with Sawyer. I won't see him anymore." Her voice was shaking. "Just don't leave him..."
Sawyer cut her off. "Stop. Look at yourself."
I stared at Cady.
I gave her everything. Treated her like gold. If I had a snack, a toy, whatever—she got it first.
We never fought. Never yelled at each other.
She was always clingy. Always acting all cute with me.
When she met Sawyer, she even made fun of him:
"Who are you? I'm Quinn's number one. I take way better care of her."
Sawyer fired back:
"Yeah? Nobody knows Quinn like I do. Not even you."
They fought over who got to spoil me. Who brought me tea, rubbed my shoulders, all that shit.
And now they're together.
Behind my back.
"You don't have to break up," I said real quiet.
"I will."
"Quinn, stop!" Sawyer snapped. "Look at her. She's a mess."
I didn't say anything.
He caught himself. His voice got softer. "When you calm down, we'll talk. Okay?"
"Let's just drop it tonight. Go get some sleep."
He didn't look at me. Just walked out with Cady in his arms.
The door closed.
I finally started crying.
That engagement ring sitting there? Total joke.
I grabbed it.
Tossed it in the trash. Didn't even think twice.
The ring? Don't want it.
Sawyer? Don't want him either.
Next morning, Sawyer took Cady home.
He said she needed someone with her right now. So he had to go.
I didn't say anything.
He wasn't asking. Just telling me.
That afternoon, a friend texted me.
Sent a photo and asked:
[Just saw Cady and Sawyer. Why are they holding hands? Are they dating?]
Yep.
Funny thing is, I never thought Sawyer would cheat with Cady.
I opened the photo. They were going into some restaurant.
Cady's eyes were still puffy. Still looked like a mess.
So that's what Sawyer meant by "being there for her."
Makes sense. He picked her over me.
I texted back:
[Yeah. They're together.]
Then put my phone down, kept packing.
I'd called a realtor last night about selling this place. They came by this afternoon, looked around, gave me a number.
Guy asked, "You said this was for your wedding, right? Looks brand new. Why sell?"
I smiled. "Broke up. Don't need it."
This was supposed to be where we got married. Sawyer bought it. Put my name on it.
Said he wanted me to feel safe. Didn't care whose name was on the papers.
Everything in here—the decor, the furniture, all of it—he picked based on what I liked.
He knew I loved flowers, so he built that balcony garden.
He'd mess up my hair and smile. "I'll take care of these. You just look at them."
"Maybe we can use them for your bouquet."
He did grow those flowers.
Too bad we're not getting married.
I grabbed my important stuff and threw it all in my suitcase.
By the time I was done, it was dark out.
Checked my phone. Sawyer texted half an hour ago.
[Staying with Cady tonight. She needs me.]
[Tomorrow's our five-year anniversary. I'll come get you.]
I almost forgot.
Tomorrow's five years.
Not anymore.
We're done celebrating.
I didn't text back. Just blocked him.
