Rule No 1: No Strings Attached

er's

appiest man alive, and marry me?

I had held that ring. And I had thought - even for just a second - about what it would feel like on my own f

e everyone watched and celebrated something that was quietly breaking me apart from the inside. I smiled. I don't know how. My f

the letter

led from how tight I was holding on. Three pages of everything I'd spent three years not saying, tucked into my bag e

he woman beside her, tilting her ha

d be me in

her. Just keep

ecause if I moved, something would break, and I didn't t

ng, and I felt my eyes sting, hot and sudden, and that was when I knew I

ot looking at anyone. I just needed air and distance

ost m

setup keeping the romantic lights alive. I lurched forward, grabbed at

ped, and the n

of it with one hand braced against a stranger's table and the cable pulled loos

n that diner t

of the invisibility I'd built over three years of standing quietly a

aid. "I tripped,

ough the room, and heat crawled up my neck and in

n us, his brow pulled together, Taylor's hand dropping from his as he came toward m

e strap over my shoulder, the lie coming out shakier than I wanted it to. "The building closes in fifteen mi

car at least.." Brooks said

really, stay. Eat. You guys just got reunited, don't let me ruin it. I'll text you tomorrow, Brooks. Welcom

, I spun on my heel and

oks, and walked out as fast as I could without breaking in

see me like this.

as going, just needing to be gone. The letter was still in my hand. I didn't even know why I was still holding it. Every s

ible. Why can't anyone c

mme

e came down slowly and stopped a few feet away, looking me over. "Jealo

." *Why can't she just leave m

d back the tears building up, my w

nd the music, right as he kissed me.

interrupting

the problem. "You've spent your whole life apologizing and

ing I could say that wouldn't conf

er expression shifted. "Did you think you were subtle? Always available,

going to be exactly what you are to him - the friend. The safe place. The girl he calls w

ng some soft, unguarded place in me a

g to be enough for s

low hard to stop the tears from coming

ack, leaving me standing there with three years of silence finally breaking open in the worst

e pavement an

and I walked, because if I stopped moving I was afraid I'd simply f

on the uneven ground, the letter still crumpled in my fist, three y

n't s

rd enough that the ground came up before I could do anything about it. I

om where it had landed, and stood back up. He tur

my whole body raw and exposed in a way that had nothi

arest light and started reading w

his campus who moved like that.... Ace Hunters. Brooks's half brother. Boxing

him, my voice cracking

ly to the side wi

knew go through the most private thing I had ever written, every word of it s

cond page and stopped, and look

ove with my brother for three

ow, humiliation stacking on top of grief until I

"A one-sided thing for three years while

ing sn

letter with both hands and wrenched it from h