Chapter 1 Harper : " Marry him ! Marry him ! " 78 55 vouchers I had dreamt of such scenes countless times : My childhood best friend , Grayson Ford on one knee , his love for me shining in his eyes as he held a ring in his hand , and friends cheering all around us . The dream had finally come true , but the one in front of him was Tiffany , the girl who had turned my entire high school life into a nightmare . I didn't expect to see him again in that way after being away for four years . We had barely spoken when I left San Francisco to go to college . But the moment his name flashed on my phone screen a few days ago with an invite to his party , I felt sixteen again and wanted to go as soon as possible . And at that moment , I deeply regretted it . I had no idea they were still together as I hadn't checked his social media profiles in a long time . " I love you , " he said to her as he waited . His words made me peek from behind the wall where I'd been hiding since my arrival . They were surrounded by guests in the living room . " I love you too , Babe , " she said in that voice that I still found annoying . " Yes ! " Her giggle , his smile and their passionate kiss all cut deeper than I expected . My fingers curled around the strap of my handbag so tightly that I thought it might snap , but I didn't care . I was already fighting back my tears . Even though he was the only one I had loved for more than ten years and my heart was breaking , I wasn't going to cry there . It was his engagement party and I wasn't about to behave like the clumsy Harper of high school . Not anymore . Right as the applause began to fade , I held my head high and stepped forward into the living room , the sound of my heels making heads turn . I hadn't seen any of those people in years , but I never forgot how they mocked my baggy dressing and unappealing presence in school . Now , all eyes were on me and the room fell silent for a few seconds , everyone trying to study me . One of the girls leaned over to whisper something to her friend , mentioning my name in the process to find out it was really Harper Moore . Being the center of attention was the one thing I never wanted for as long as I could remember , but it just couldn't be helped . I also expected this to happen . I wasn't the girl I used to be . Even the guys looked at me differently . I played it cool , my lips curving into a smile , and then , my gaze landed on Grayson . His eyes widened as he pulled his hand away from Tiffany , taking a few steps towards me before he could stop himself . He parted his lips , but no words came out immediately . He looked at me from head to toe a few times , like he couldn't believe it was me . 7:19 Tue , Sep 16 Chapter 1 " Harp ? " he said , pushing past a few people in his way as he pushed back his jet black hair . I swallowed hard , trying not to get too excited just by how he called my name . " Yup , that's me ! " I forced a chuckle . He slowly lifted the corners of his mouth , stunned . " Wow .... you look .... " " Different ? " 78 55 vouchers " Beautiful . " He said it too quickly and that compliment left my heart racing . I was now twenty two years old , but felt sixteen again . Right before I could respond , Tiffany rushed to his side , holding onto his arm . She had this look of amusement on her face , but there was nothing friendly about it . With an exaggerated gasp , she said , " Oh , it's really you . " She looked at me from head to toe with the same fake smile that was always plastered across her face . There was a time when Grayson and I were very close but when he became popular in junior high school and she showed interest in him , everything changed . She was rich and beautiful , everything I wasn't back then . I felt invisible and it was because she was in the picture that he and I grew distant even before I left for college . " It's so good to see you too , " I said to her with a forced smile . " You're really back in town after graduation , huh ? It looks like college did wonders . Just look at you . You're almost unrecognizable in this short emerald green dress , but hey , some things never change . You still have that bookworm vibe despite the makeover . " " Okay , that's enough ," Grayson cut in , his tone sharp as he shook his head with disapproval . She feigned innocence , running the palm of her hand along his jacket . " What ? I'm just saying hi ." He said nothing more , but only gave me an apologetic and soft look , then gently pulled her to the side . He whispered something in her ear , then held her hand as he led her down the hallway . She looked back at me with a triumphant smile , like she was right where she wanted to be and had been waiting for this exact moment . She was the same old Tiffany . He wrapped his arm around her waist as he said something to her and she paid attention to him . I didn't even care what they were talking about , but that arm around her waist shattered something inside of me . I even wished that time machines existed so I could rewind the last few minutes and stop myself from ever showing up that night . For as long as I could remember , she always came first and he never noticed me the way I wished he would . Every step that I took , all eyes were on me and I just wanted to be alone , so I came to the backyard , my arms wrapped around myself as I faced the ground . I wanted to leave , but how could I just walk out when I had only arrived ? 7:19 Tue , Sep 16 Chapter 1 : 78 55 vouchers When I turned around in a hurry so I could go to the bathroom and hide my face , I ran into a broad and solid chest . I stumbled back , constantly blinking as I looked up and froze at the sight before me . He was tall , dressed in all black with his sleeves rolled halfway . His collar was open enough to show just the right amount of muscle . With his honey blond hair brushed back , that only accentuated his facial features , especially his sharp jawline . His presence was nothing but a dangerous vibe . Something about him felt familiar , but I couldn't figure it out . With a slow grin that only added to his charm , he said . " Maybe if you kept your head up , you'd see where you're going . " There was an immediate arrogance in his tone , one which also felt familiar . Maybe I was just imagining it , so I stepped to the side to leave and be alone again , but he got in the way . " Leaving so soon when we're finally seeing each other after so many years ? " I sighed with irritation as I looked up at his gorgeous face . " Do I know you ? " He scoffed . " What's this ? Clingy Harper doesn't remember me ? " Clingy Harper ? I narrowed my eyes . Only one person had ever called me that and I hated it . At that moment , it all came back to me . I just hadn't realised it sooner as so much had changed about him . At twenty three , he was way more attractive than he was at seventeen . Not only was he the wealthy playboy that the girls wished they could have a chance with , he was also Tiffany's annoying half - brother . They shared the same father . " Maddox ? " " There you go ," he said . " You know , I still remember how you used to follow Grayson around like a lost puppy . " I hated how obvious that had always been , but I laughed at his description of me . " I didn't think I'd run into you here , but hey , at least I got to see with my own eyes that you're still an ass . " His grin twitched a little . " I guess college changed so much about you . You're quite feisty now . The party inside , but why would you be there when you're upset ? " My heart skipped to beat , and I looked to the side . " I'm fine ." He scoffed . " Oh , Harper , I saw you when you arrived . You were glowing the moment you walked in , but hearing that your childhood crush was engaged to my younger sister got to you , hmm ? " Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!