ve of nausea rolled through Ava's stomach. The jet lag, the emotional shock-

t her skin. "I think I'd just like to go home, Ethan. I'm not feeling well." It was a

here. Just wait a few minutes." His tone was final,

ottle of water, this one with a small, pink, fluffy keychain a

k piece of evidence of her own foolishness. The sight of it made the nausea worse. She shook

woman with bright blonde hair and a body poured into a

r the console, and captured Ethan's mouth in a searing kiss. "Baby, y

looked Ava up and down, a flicker of something-triumph? pity?-in her gaze.

his cheeks. "Don't be crazy, Morgan. This is Av

d a perfectly manicured hand over the seat. "Oh, you must be the sister Ethan

in her hands and planting another firm kiss on his lips, her eyes locked

ce Ethan had sent for her graduation, the one she was wearing under h

om?" Morgan asked, her tone bright

aged to say, her

n and I have been together for almost a year now. We went skiing

st a

en gifts. A year of her meticulously planning her return, her future, while he was

heavy door open, and stumbled out onto the sidewalk, bending over as her bod

y-faded into a dull roar. She was vaguely aware of people staring, their fac

lane, rinsing her mouth. She looked up. Through the car's windshield, she could see the silhouette of Ethan turne

s of devotion, curdled into a hard, bitter knot of disillusionment. He had p

r fingers surprisingly stead

Ava, are you okay? Why don't you wait for Ethan to take you home?

arity. He wasn't just picking her up. He was fitting her into his s

augh escaped her l

she said, her voi

, and walked towards the corner to meet her ride, leaving Ethan, Morgan, and the wreckage