MARRIED TO MY SISTER'S FIANCE

the ceiling, replaying every word she'd said. Pregnant. Not with just any man's child, but with Adrian's. And now

ake too. I knew because I heard the faint clink of a whiskey glass against the marble countertop

hanged the moment she walked through that door. Before her return, the lie between Adrian and me was bearable-co

w a man torn between two sisters, one who wore

ir

I wasn't supposed to care. I wasn't supposed to feel anything. And yet... I did. Some

ut that wa

pretending-and I had just br

too quiet. The kind of quiet t

nees. Adrian stood at the island, black coffee in hand, already dress

urmured, reach

he asked, to

baby,"

an eyebr

uring coffee, pretending I didn't feel th

a doctor today," he

rply. "You're g

idn't meet my eye

er than I expected. I nodded, swallow

setting my mug do

"this doesn't change anything b

bitter. "You mean

. "That's

out saving face, you wouldn't have married me, Adrian. And now she's bac

at me, jaw

s," he said finally. "But I

rabbed my coffee

dn't

t

with Adrian-and I was left to hold the image of the two of them together

urned hot and hollow, especially

Anything to pretend I still had control over something-anything. But every time I blinked, I

de the mistake of lo

she used to carry everywhere-Poems of the Lost & Broken. The same one she

k. Torn at the edge. My name scraw

v

re opening it. B

meant to

he. Because I knew what everyone expected of me, and I knew I

o listened. The one who loved without needing the spotligh

s. I never wanted you

s afraid. Of Adrian

was pregnant, I wante

ecause that child

if you'll eve

I never stopped loving you. Even

Iz

ng time. Words blurred. Fingers

u do with a truth

ed just bef

wine in hand, pretending the city

ession unreadable. Isabelle trail

id softly, st

n't r

small piece o

ono

oat cl

l," she w

rainy image. A tiny form curled like a com

t shattered som

refully. "We'll figu

answer hi

as simple: we were

t, I coul

too big. The

ater, I heard something st

, past the dimly lit living room, and

e keys with haunting precision. A me

p when I st

w you played,

he said. "N

didn'

drawn to the a

re you

said. "Back when I tho

eath

e then, really

. I'm

r w

to this. For making

e me," I said.

nted you to

k I'm not

aused over

anymore," he admitted. "But I kn

art s

ow is

ace between us. His hand reache

an finall