The Fiancé My Rival Became

. The scent of old books and his pipe tobacco usual

his "one true love." He'd barely acknowledged me. Our families, the Millers and t

dation, a man whose calm demeanor usually s

gentle. "This situation with Ethan..

to speak past the

Grandma Rose chimed in my head. The

y." Grandpa Joe sighed, then slid a small stack of glossy photographs across his

m prominent local families. Chad Peterson, grinning like a golden retriever

n before the accident, his arm po

t of a smirk on his lips, his dark hair ruffled by a wi

Joe said, his gaze steady. "Secure your future

sal game? This was arch

about it like a bull in a china shop, Grandma

t I loved. The boy who now looked at me like

pieces in that other time. Left you for

't recognize, filled with a pain that felt terrifyingly real. Ethan, charming and deceitful. Jess, sl

long-time rival. The one person in to

ma Rose cheered. He's a good lad, a

n hearing my dead grandmother in my head? Crazier

p breath. "O

O'Connell's

him. I cho

e stared at the photo, then at me,

ice laced with surprise. "But...

s it looks like a fight to the un

of calm settling over me. Or maybe it was just Gr

chosen my rival as my fiancé. The