ECHOES OF PAST

the middle of the ballroom, dressed in the red dress Evan had picked for me, s

olden boy. Char

holding a glass of whiskey and lau

Lancaster's lower back like i

d that used to hold me at night. Th

bbled up in

like me. It sounded

being his shadow, his quiet suppo

e gave me lies. "Aria," Lena hissed besi

e been doing stupid for ten years." Her eyes flicked to

t sparkled under the lights like it was mocking me. Ten

she was wearing my dream on her hand. Lena exhale

ut it wasn't a nice smile. "No

om. My heels clicked on the marble floor,

ce."Aria," he said, too calm, like he wasn't standing next t

nsive cologne he wore for special occasions

sweet, almost too sweet. Emma blinked, al

corners of my mouth upward. "Oh, do

iving with him for

gh the nearby crowd. Evan's jaw

laughed. "E

ou told me you loved me while buying

o something colder.

," I said. "You

ound his, like she was

c," she said softly.

ght she was winning. She had no idea she was standing next to a

rs to a man who promised you forever

toward us. I could hea

ke someone had torn the dam open. "I wasted

e away like trash?" His voice dropp

calm, warning tone was the same one he'

s. "I loved you. You said you'd marry me." His expression

urned to ash. I didn't scream. I didn't cry. I jus

they could touch me, Evan put a hand on

ything was fine, like we weren't

he door open

d shut it be

the ballroom

said, low an

rassed me i

ery

arm out of

You dese

lenched. "

nd. Emma'

e about Emma

racked. "Yo

veryt

ruel sound. "You really thou

. I grabbed the wall to sta

more than a comfortable option. You made things

ap. I had loved him since I was

I said. "And you're

ocket and pulled out

n this for me. You're go

e on. That's generous." I stared at him

is voice. "If you walk away

in his eye

cold. This

aking up.

darker lurk

calm

" I repeate

alking

is head, alm

"Let's not

. It'll be easier if yo

y spine. Evan wasn't threatening me out of

slowly. "What ar

n close, his

ar. "You'll f

oug

I?" He smiled. It wasn't the smile I fell

nd I realized with a sick twist in my

just a dull hum be

it, but his hand shot

on

isten to me. You don't get to r

tt

but it came out sha

ugh to leave a bruise but enough to remind m

ches from mine,

he whispered. "I can

ears. I shoved at his ches

this time. "You should have

, hidden under all that cruelty. But then

It wasn't big, but it was

. "You should h

nic clawed at my throat. He wasn't bluffing. I cou

wisted. "Go

down the wall, my hand pressing against the warm blood spreading across my s

" he said softly. "You wer

d footsteps, or maybe th

eone was calling my name. Lena. She must have followed. But her voi

a whisper. It wasn't Lena. It wasn't Evan. It

was Evan's face, calm and empty as I slipped into the dar

the nightstand said 6:12 a.m. And the man w