Secret Love

Chapter 4 The Cold Truth

When we arrived, I went to buy drinks.

Ivy had just come out of the restroom as I handed Finn the iced mango drink he had asked for. Before he could take it, she snatched the cup straight from my hand, irritation written all over her face.

"It's freezing outside, and he's still recovering from a cold." She frowned at me sharply. "Are you trying to make him sick again?"

Before I could explain that Finn had chosen it himself, she glanced at the other two drinks in my hands. Without hesitation, she took my coconut latte and handed it to Finn instead.

"You don't like overly sweet drinks," she said softly to him. "Take this one."

I stood there holding the iced mango drink in silence. My chest felt colder than the weather outside.

She remembered that Finn disliked sweet drinks. She remembered to worry about his health.

But she forgot that I was allergic to mango. She didn't even notice I was standing there in nothing but a thin shirt, shivering in the cold wind.

For the first time, love and indifference felt so painfully obvious.

Fireworks exploded across the night sky, illuminating the entire square in waves of brilliant light.

I stood behind Ivy and watched her cling happily to Finn's arm, her smile brighter than the fireworks overhead.

My phone buzzed suddenly. It was a reservation reminder from the restaurant. I stared at the message for a few seconds before forwarding it into the group chat with my friends.

Leo: Candlelit dinner reservation. Expensive wine, flowers, live music. Already paid for. Whoever wants it can take it.

Replies flooded in almost immediately.

A: What happened? Weren't you insanely excited about tonight?

B: Where's your wife? You two fighting?

I looked up at the fireworks bursting endlessly above us. Then I lowered my eyes and typed slowly.

Leo: Turns out free fireworks are better than an expensive dinner.

After sending the message, I muted my phone. I didn't want to hear anyone comforting me. I didn't even know what I could possibly say anymore.

It wasn't until we started heading home and Finn split off in another direction that Ivy finally noticed something was wrong.

"Why haven't you touched your drink?" she asked casually. "Saving it for later?"

"Just not feeling great," I answered with a faint smile.

She paused briefly. For the first time that night, she seemed to notice what I was wearing.

"Well, that's your own fault," she replied carelessly. "If you catch a cold, don't get me sick too. You know I hate taking medicine."