pte

ne's

ine humming low like it coul

shut. The driver glanced at me in the mirror, but whatever he saw on my face ma

e swallowe

bag crumpled beside me, that stupid jewelry bag still

nside me went deeper than anything outside. It

rl

ar

wedding. My

ed in my head li

niverse plays

the altar. A week from

-was the on

t ached. No, it burned. And still, I couldn't cry. Not yet. Not here. The t

kept looping b

e you what

la

mo

he said

rl

side of my cheek so

connection. I felt it every time he touched me, every tim

t all

only one w

Ma

use to sleep

like ghosts, and the next, the cab was slowing in front of my building.

with trembling fingers an

ike the betrayal had settled into my joints. When I reached my doo

chen on the left, bed on the right and a bathroom. It

. Foreign. Like it di

ht there on the floor and collapsed onto

th

atte

ut of me before

Ugly.

nto myself and cried for everything I'd lost. For the love I thought I had. For the f

it w

were

so

betr

e saying

l my fists were tangled in the blanke

ed, I lay there in the quiet,

n through the window, p

th swollen eyes and

sn't I

y, not like a relie

efore I drifted into that co

er be the

e strong on the outside, but inside she's breaking. That silent kind

Hour

of my window, golden and loud-like the wo

forgot. Just a second. Until the memory h

i

e

eth

My best

burned in the b

ike it didn't recognize the girl with the puffy eyes and cracked smile. But I pushed throug

e eggs and maybe toast bread-anything to distrac

I he

k at t

fr

Please,

came again-lou

slowly to the door, my heartbeat picking

of c

was

rl

glowy, like she just wo

eaming to grab her by the collar and throw her against the wall. Or b

didn't

mil

voice sweet eno

y heart last night and stepped in, throwing

lightly, briefly-b

y?" I asked, raising a brow as

ind that used to sound like musi

laric's mom is throwing her birthday party tomorrow! Ev

ve to be there." She added whil

cou

eggs like they were the only t

hummed. "

k of cheese from the table and popped on

you remember Alaric's uncle? That hot one e

my eyes

ith a grin. "He's back in town

y eggs, unimpresse

ou're so dry so

flipping a slice of

g sitting at the edge of the table

u get this?" she a

der, forcing the sweet

terd

trailing over the box lik

se she

ly one living in the

?" I asked, sliding the eggs onto a

graine," she said, rubbing her temple dramatically.

ic

gh

igr

a b

ww. Well, I hope you'r

ally heading out now-to get a

ing back to my pan. "Wouldn't wa

"Exactly! Anyway,

ted out, slamming the door shut behind her like she

hand, the smell of burnt

mach t

ith h

h r

h g

l-I said

ted screaming, I