e Bai

g red warning on the sc

hoed through the walls. My spine turned to

y door. Silence. No footsteps. Just the fra

rough five years of memories, searching for a combination of

graduation party. The smell of stale beer. Blake, compl

r that night. I thought it was a flight

over the keys. I pressed ze

shed the enter key, bracing for

rough the speakers. A green unl

Archives" exploded open, ta

oaded instantly, tiling across the s

humbnail was Blake standing in an unfa

s looking at the camera with a soft, unguarded, boyish smile. A smile I had never

photo was a blonde girl sitting on his

knew that face. Isabelle. His co

rriage cracked straight down the

b-folder titled "

ned, handwritten pages.

e. Without you, I cann

o me, he slid the ring on my finger and sa

g. I clicked a photo of Isabelle

s wearing a vintage, burgundy velvet d

own at my

burgundy velvet dress. Blake

e of brutal, freezing clarity. I shoved the chair back, sprinted ou

en my wardr

lected for me over the years. The white silk blouses. The khaki t

replica of what Isabel

rpet. I slammed both hands over my mouth to tr

y funded, perfectly tailored stand-in.

but I stumbled back to the study. My eyes bu

the search bar in the top right

y own nam

conds. A cold, gray line of

ults

don't even d