U

by. I had lo

't belong to me, I told myself over and over again. They couldn't. They probably belonged to some

. My body ached in a way I had never known before. It was deep and hollow, like something essent

oice chose this exact moment to start

re he could finish. "There's no need to be sorry. Jus

g in his orbs. He didn't say anything after that, and I just knew. This

let me leave, I had only

ed to

there, that he would see my face and understand what had been lost. That maybe, just maybe he would realize his mistake and pe

ven c

I should have taken that as my first clue t

e with the same warm smile she always did.

n it, but nothing came out

ow engaged to my sister. I had been rejected, publicly, and I had lost m

was anything I could do to bring it back. Like I hadn't already been through enough, my body fe

but I'd at least hoped for a little bit of quiet. Howev

voices, and I just k

arty alre

serene it made my stomach churn. She looked radiant, untouched, a

e said lightly

ou would think that after ruining my life, she wou

very w

for something, anything, that rese

hing deep inside me was whispering that I w

eplied, too quickly. "He h

our parents joined her, followed by Troy's. They stood together like this was some sort of family meeting,

bsence of emotions in her tone had me wondering if she really was my own

idn't regis

added, avoiding my eyes

eve the words that had just slid past

added again. "And i

," my father said. "Gi

le in my throat just wouldn't leave. I can

take it back now. If they didn't want me in the family h

I actually thought they were consider

er with the

d forward, arms crossed, ey

e trembled despite m

't it?" He gestured vaguely toward me. "Trying to guilt Alana and Troy

g inside me sna

started. "I was bl

We're not doing this tonight. We've r

ed myself to look at each of them, waiting

one

is voice pulling me back to the present. "You're to gath

again. What was I going to say? Was I going to

choices, I already knew how things were goin

ot, even when it hurt. Even when it destroyed someone else. They lov

t, my body heavy and fragile, but I had to stay put. Every movement sent a dull ache through my lower ab

baby, not because I didn't wa

ld celebrate it, and that was th

the gathering. I didn't know who they were, and quite frankly

ill was

ing room, my vision swimming,

he said. "Don't bo

up slowly. "Wh

ed me a thin stack of

round them automatically. For a quick second, I strugg

p Severance

t no matter how hard I blinked, nothing changed. T

voice almost quiet and my hands t

s family, Ruby." His face was

diately the words

, and now, my family. My world was crashin

alizing with brutal clarity that I ha