His Loss, Her Lasting Love

issed my request as if it were a childish whim. The condescending pat on my shoulder made my s

ited. Waited for him to be ready for marriage. Waited for him to prioritize us over his work. Waited for him to see me as an equal

cent eyes and a smile that seemed permanently fixed on her face. She looked exactly like I did six years ago, wh

ers brushing against his. "I brought you yo

aid, his voice warm and appreciative. It

tering for a fraction of a second. "Oh

project together. I had stayed up all night perfecting the re

"Extra shot of espresso," he had whispered, his eyes soft wit

blueprint, our shoulders touching as we leaned over the drafting table. There was an energy betw

e else. I felt a cold wave wash over me, pulling me from the warm mem

coffee and smiled at

I was already a ghost in the room, a r

tail on the blueprint. "I had a thought abou

ening intently, their heads close together. The

me. I pushed my chair back abruptly,

ed, his brow furrowed with concern. Th

eyes before it was replaced by a mask of polite c

n, a performance for o

erated sympathy. "Oh, Ava, you've been working so hard. Maybe you pushed yourself too much." She the