held onto a singl

rgot the moment he wo

, it was e

when I wa

entire childhood trailing after her older

s older, a god in

ad this easy charm that made

ing little sister, a sh

backyard was thick with s

and the dim party lights made

old oak tree, his head tipped b

as d

time I'd ever see

mmered agai

like now

ver, my st

e, I stood on my toes and p

sperate kiss that l

es flutte

e hazy,

a slow, lazy smile spr

't push

n't ge

led, a low, r

, his voice amuse

d patted my head

into litt

ssive, but they hit me with

on burned

ground to swa

o reconsider, a playf

ling up, the way my

outh twitching. "When you're 22, if

ht it wa

get rid of the

it as a

ght years, I de

he perfect

at surprised my professors, racking up aw

to carry myself with a conf

hat six-year gap, to become

g his world, making sure

tonight,

omise

ate VIP room of an upsca

g ready, my red dress a

here with some friends, ce

he perfe

was sligh

familiar, confident sound tha

ready on my lips, ready to

his voice laced with smug satisfaction. "Ava is... persist

from hi

h with it? The fake fiancée? T

ile f

d turne

eterrent. We announce our engagement, maybe even parade a kid around for a few months. It's the only way to ge

d almost picture his

w I really feel. I've been in love with her for years. This w

hallway, each one a hamm

fia

ed b

terr

me to b

love wa

s nev

e used to keep me at a distance, a

ulously planned around

e door, my chest tight,

e club faded in

legs, but somehow,

past the bouncers, out

tting me like tiny, sharp needles, pla

dn't

, tears mixing with

ery carefully constructed p

s a

cle to b

ty alley, leaning against a

, torn from the d

ars of my life chasin

buzzed in

age fr

little crazy. By the way, there's something you shoul

her

the decency to let m

y face, making sure t

as

message, at his

augh escap

ontacts and found the e

olarship to stu

off on accepting

or my 22n

sed "A

clothes dripping wat

pulled out a small, lock

very memory

from a movie w

e'd once picked

number scrawled on

kyard, to the same spot where

verything into a meta

e flames con

ed, the flower

ing left but smoke and the bit

me out of

i

d disa