The Partner Swap Game That Broke Us

At a college reunion, my boyfriend's freshman flame draped herself over his shoulder, drunkenly suggesting a real-life partner swap game.

The room fell quiet. Everyone exchanged uneasy glances, their eyes darting toward me.

But Jax couldn't stand to see her look disappointed. Before I could even open my mouth, he shot me a look, his eyelids lifting lazily. "It's just a game, Ivy. Don't be a buzzkill."

And just like that, his best friend became my new boyfriend.

His old flame became his new girlfriend.

They went on dates, held hands, and hugged right in front of me. Then, behind my back, they moved into the house we were supposed to share, kissing, their passion igniting.

No one took my objections seriously.

Seeing the blood drain from my face, Jax just took a drag from his cigarette, unconcerned. "You agreed to this, Ivy. Don't be a sore loser."

The day the game was supposed to end, he came back to me, telling me it was time for us to get married.

But I slipped my hand from his grasp and turned to kiss his best friend on the lips.

"Is that right? Because my game has just begun."

The world went white for a second when Jax pushed me into Cole's arms.

"Sorry," I mumbled instinctively, trying to push myself up, but I felt a light tug on my palm. It was the faintest touch, but it made my heart skip a beat.

The man didn't even look at me. His large hand steadied my arm as he leaned in, his voice a cool whisper against my ear, laced with a distinct thread of mockery.

"After leaving me, Ivy, you still end up with guys like this?"

The memories I had buried so deep, the ones I'd tried so hard to forget, suddenly burst forth. Dark, humid rainy days. The sticky heat of bodies pressed close, our breath mingling with every turn. Our eyes meeting, then melting into another kiss.

Everything converged on the man in front of me.

Before me were Cole's eyes, so dark they were almost cold. Behind me, the crowd was chanting, "Kiss, kiss, kiss!"

And then there was Jax, the man who had physically pushed me away.

I bit my lip and looked away, scrambling to get out of Cole's embrace. When I turned back, Jax and Sienna were already holding hands, their fingers intertwined.

It had been less than three seconds since Sienna had proposed the twisted game.

It took Jax two years into our relationship before he reluctantly let me hold his hand.

A thick film of plastic seemed to wrap around my chest, suffocating me.

Someone, always eager to stir the pot, sidled up to Cole. "So, what do you think, man? Ivy was the star of our department back in the day. This is a win for you."

Cole lifted a finger to his nose, inhaling its scent for a moment before his gaze flicked to me.

My mind flashed back to a summer in our sophomore year, another one of those dark, sticky rainy days. An endless downpour raged outside the window. He had me pinned against the wall with one arm, his other hand bringing a single finger to my lips.

"Want a taste, Ivy?"

The memory shattered. I hastily looked away.

A small smirk played on Cole's lips. "I'm in."

All eyes turned to me. "Come on, Ivy, you're the last one."

My hand, resting on my lap, clenched into a fist. Before I could speak, Jax leveled that same dismissive gaze at me. "It's just a game, Ivy. Don't be a buzzkill."

There it was again.

Growing up, Jax always made the decisions. He never once asked for my opinion.

When we started college, he decided it was inconvenient for me to live in the dorms if I was going to run his errands, so he had me move in with his best friend, Cole.

The year we graduated, he suddenly said, "Ivy, let's try dating."

And today, it was, "It's just a game, Ivy. Don't be a buzzkill."

But we were supposed to get married in two weeks.

My dad died in a car crash when I was five. My mom was bedridden, and I was sent to live with Jax's family. They were my lifeline, paying for my mother's medical bills, for my college.

So, my entire life, I had never said no to Jax.

This time was no different.

I looked up, forcing a smile. "I'm in, too."

The room erupted in cheers, as if theyd just won a championship.

"Scoot over, Ivy," Sienna said, pulling Jax toward me. "For the next two weeks, Jax is my boyfriend." She nudged me with the toe of her designer heel. "Cole's your new man."

I followed her gaze. Cole was sitting alone on the two-seater sofa, his expression a mask of cold indifference.

He was looking at me, too.

I broke eye contact, got up to give them my spot, and forced myself to sit down next to Cole.

Sienna perched on Jax's lap and giggled. "I know Cole's a catch, but don't forget this is just a game, Ivy. Try not to fall for him for real."

Jax smiled, playfully tapping her nose. "What are you talking about? Ivy lived at Cole's place for four years and nothing happened. You think a guy like Cole would actually be interested in her?"

"You never know," Cole said.

His two words silenced the entire room. My breath hitched.

Jax's gaze darkened as he stared at Cole.

Without looking up, Cole flicked his lighter open and shut, his voice flat. "It was a joke. Don't take it seriously."

The tension remained thick in the air until the class president tried to smooth things over. "It's just a game, guys! Let's just have fun."

"Right, and speaking of rules," he added, "no real kissing or, you know, doing it."

The words had barely left his mouth when Jax cupped Sienna's chin and crashed his lips onto hers.

"If you're going to play," he said, pulling back for a second, "play to win. Don't be a sore loser."

In that instant, all the color drained from my face.

A chorus of gasps and whoops filled the room as they fell into another desperate, clinging kiss. I felt like a clown. I quickly looked away, blinking back tears as I reached for a drink.

Cole intercepted, swapping the glass of whiskey for a glass of orange juice. "Don't cry," he said softly.

In that moment, a profound exhaustion washed over me.

After the party, we all headed toward the parking garage.

Sienna glanced back, a sly grin on her face. "Ivy, you and Cole are standing so far apart."

Jax turned at the sound of her voice.

The others followed suit.

Cole and I were on opposite sides of the lane, a sea of space between us.

"Even if you can't bring yourself to kiss," Sienna laughed, "you could at least hold hands for show."

The others chimed in. "Yeah, you're already in the game, drop the act! Hold hands, hold hands!"

My fingers twitched.

Cole stood in the shadows, his expression unreadable. He didn't move.

The catcalls grew louder, their teasing gazes feeling like needles on my back. I took a deep breath and slowly shuffled toward him, hesitantly reaching out my hand.

Just as my fingertips were about to touch his, his pinky finger curled slightly.

Suddenly, Jax strode over and pulled me back.

"If you don't want to play, don't force it," he sighed, reaching up to stroke my hair. "When the game's over, the wedding's still on."

Cole's jaw tightened, his eyes glinting with a sharp, chilling light.

Everyone else just looked at each other, the teasing mood broken.

Jax led me to his car and opened the passenger door. As I bent to get in, Sienna blocked my way. Her tone was sharp. "Did you forget, Ivy? The game isn't over. Jax is my boyfriend now, and he's taking me home."

I froze, looking at Jax.

He chewed on his cigarette and glanced at Sienna, who just huffed and shoved me aside, climbing into the car. The door slammed shut with a deafening thud.

Jax rubbed his nose, his voice softening. "Ivy, just stay at Cole's for a few days."

"Don't worry, it's just for a little while. And if you don't want to play, that's fine. I know Cole. He won't try anything."

Just like every other time, Jax didn't ask for my opinion. He just decided.

With that, he got into the driver's seat. The Maybach peeled out of the garage, and the others soon left as well, leaving me alone in the echoing concrete space. In the end, I got into Cole's car.

We hadn't seen each other in three years. I thought he would ask me why I'd vanished without a word during our senior year. I thought I would ask him why he was engaged to Sienna.

But neither of us did.

The drive was silent.

Half an hour later, as we were on the freeway, my phone buzzed.

When I saw the screen, my mind exploded.

It was a photo from Sienna.

The background was the master bedroom of the house Jax and I had bought together. On the bedsheets I had just put on yesterday, there was a single crimson stain amidst a chaotic mess.

[Sienna]: A little reunion gift for Jax. My first time.

[Sienna]: Don't worry, Ivy, it's just a game. I'm telling you this so you don't get the wrong idea.

[Sienna]: Jax was chasing me all through college. If we wanted something to happen, you would have never even been in the picture.

The year we graduated, Jax had suddenly asked me out right after Sienna had rejected his confession.

That's why he agreed to this twisted game at the reunion today.

Sienna was his unattainable prize.

I was his consolation prize.

I knew all of this.

But seeing that stain it felt like a million ants crawling up my throat. I felt sick.

A large hand reached over and took the phone from my grasp. Cole tossed a pack of tissues onto my lap.

"Wipe your tears."

Just like seven years ago, Cole gave me a room of my own, separated from his by a single wall.

Seven years ago, we found a stray Ragdoll cat together. We named him Milo. Cole had brought him all the way from his old city to this one. Now, Milo was an old man.

But he hadn't forgotten me. As soon as I held out my hand, he nudged his head against it, purring contentedly.

"He's missed you."

I didn't know when Cole had appeared. He handed me a glass of water, leaning against the doorframe, his voice quiet.

I took the glass and sipped, my lips pressed together. The words, "And what about you?" died on my tongue. I had no right to ask. We had never put a label on it.

Back then, when I first moved in with Cole, we kept a careful distance. We barely spoke.

That winter break during our sophomore year, Jax had promised to go home with me for the holidays. But on the day we were supposed to leave, he bailed to drive Sienna to the airport instead. I stood in the snow for three hours before Cole found me and took me back to his place.

He brushed the snow from my hair and put a warm mug in my hands. Then, he stood behind me, his fingers combing through my hair as the hairdryer hummed.

The distance between us shrank.

Hormones, the perfect atmosphere I can't remember who made the first move. We kissed. We ended up in bed.

That was the first time, and it was just the beginning. The study, the floor-to-ceiling windows, in front of the mirror, the shower we left our mark everywhere.

One restless night, I tentatively texted him: "Want to try making this official?"

Cole never replied. He responded to every other message, but that one he left hanging. No yes, no no.

Our undefined relationship lasted until the second semester of our senior year. Then I moved out, cutting off all contact.

And now, here we were. He was Sienna's fianc, and I was Jax's.

I didn't sleep at all that night.

After that, Jax didn't contact me for a long time. Sienna, however, posted on her Instagram story every day, and Jax was always in the frame. He took her to movies, bungee jumping, rock climbing. They kissed at the top of the Ferris wheel.

Meanwhile, the only time Cole and I spoke was when we were feeding the cat.

I found some time to go to the bridal shop. The wedding dress was the last thing my mother designed for me before she passed away. Whether Jax and I got married or not, I had to get it back.

But when I got there, the consultant who had helped me before looked at me with a pained expression. "Miss Shaw, your fianc was here this morning. He picked up the dress."

"He was with another young woman," she added, her voice dropping. "He said she was his girlfriend."

Her words were like a bucket of ice water dumped over my head. I fled, their sympathetic gazes burning into my back.

On the way back, Jax called. He asked how I was doing at Cole's, if I'd eaten, what I wanted for lunch tomorrow. He offered to buy it and bring it to my office.

I answered every question robotically.

Then I asked, "Jax, where is my wedding dress?"

Silence on his end.

On the video call, I could see him sitting in a living room, a cigarette dangling from his fingers. His shirt was unbuttoned, and a constellation of red marks dotted his neck.

After a long moment, he blew out a smoke ring. "Let's just get a new one, Ivy."

My heart sank. Just then, a video popped up from Sienna.

In the video, she was wearing my wedding dress, pressed against a floor-to-ceiling window by Jax. They were locked in a passionate kiss. Then, Jaxs hands moved, and he began to rip the delicate fabric, piece by piece, letting it fall to the floor in a stained, ruined heap.

[Sienna]: Is this the dress you were asking about, Ivy? So sorry, Jax and I got a little carried away last night. ;)

[Sienna]: Don't be mad. I'll pay for a new custom one for your wedding. It's no big deal.

[Sienna]: It's just a game, after all. Don't be so sensitive. You and Cole can play like this too, you know.

Rage, pure and hot, tore through me. I couldn't stop myself from screaming into the phone. "That was my mother's design! Jax, how could you take it? HOW COULD YOU!"

But Jax just sounded annoyed as he stubbed out his cigarette. "That's enough, Ivy. It's just a game. You agreed to this, so stop being a sore loser."

"We're getting married in a few days. Can you please not ruin the mood?"

Then he hung up.

When I tried to call back, I found he had blocked me. My anger, my hurt, my helplessnessit was all a joke.

I closed my eyes, wiping away tears as I pulled up the number for the wedding planner, ready to cancel everything. But my finger hovered over the screen. Instead, I went to my block list and unblocked a number that had been there for three years.

"Cole, this partner swap game is the offer still on the table?"

The silence on the other end stretched on for a long time before he finally spoke. "It is."

"Wait for me at home."

I wiped my eyes and hailed a cab. When I got back, Cole was waiting, a pack of tissues in his hand.

He saw me and let out an almost inaudible sigh. "Why are you crying again..."

I walked straight up to him, wrapped my arms around his neck, and crushed my lips against his.