Between her tears, and his lies

m 303 at Ca

No "see you soon." Just a plain, five-word

e message felt...different. Not cold, but definitely not w

the years we had spent together-after ever

neither of us wanted to admit was there. He had been constantly tense, easily irritated, and

ed about when we first left school. Landing that deal would be the

ce... were all temporary. Stress can change people. I convinced myself that

s. A message. An in

rop

lebr

be

taring at myself in the mir

getting ready, trying on four different dresses before settling on a silky peach one that made my skin glow. My hair was pin

d into my heels, and left my apa

-

ble floors stretched endlessly under glittering chandeliers that sparkled like diamonds in a jew

ing into a dream. Every detail-from the gold-trimmed walls to t

d gone

ptionist greeted me with a

under the name Mark," I said, trying to keep

. After a moment, she frowned slightly. "His line isn't going thr

om her, forcing a

elevator. Each step echoed in my ears. I pressed

all. Would he be kneeling? Maybe the room wo

laughing softly.

et, elegant, and stretched endlessly in both directions. My heels cl

hed the doo

bre

e card against the scanner. A small green ligh

g music... maybe soft ligh

inst

fr

on the bed I thought was rese

oving. T

ears. I blinked hard, thinking I'd walked into the wrong room. Maybe t

en I s

houlder blade. The same one I'd once traced with my fi

as M

aky, barely a whisper, but s

fro

bed, grabbing at sheets, pants-anything to cover himsel

xplain-" h

care about

en I s

was now sitting up slowly, pulling the

sis

isfaction. She didn't even flinch. She didn't look sorry. If anyth

to wa

like ice water

ands trembling. "No. No

ook a step back. I couldn't breathe.

I'm s

't say my name with tha

ever. She leaned back against the

fter all," she said quietly

rt sha

ackward out of the room. The

he night I thought wo

the way I ev

-

Contin