and light, like she was calling to catch up

tened on the phone

say, I'm a little disappointed. I was hoping to see your face when it played. You

u calling m

s, Aurora. Do you know how hard it is to keep a secret that long? I almost told you a dozen times. But it wouldn't have been fun that way. I wanted you dre

f weakness that got out of hand. Months of Vanessa planning this exact call, thi

Aurora said quietly.

ink Felix just woke up one day and decided he didn't want you anymore? No. That took work. That took time

ting for answers nobody had given them yet. She thought about all those months ....dinners with Felix where his phone buzzed and he d

Smiling at Aurora's face while she too

f. "So happy. So sure everything was finally going to work out for you. It was almost sad, actually. Pathetic,

ream, to cry, to beg Vanessa to explain how her supposed best friend could do something like this to her. But some small, hard

gentle, which somehow made it worse. "You're sweet, Aurora. You really are. But swee

th. For one second, n

and steady, quieter than she

line, like Vanessa hadn't exp

ith you," Vanessa said. "I th

break," Aurora said. "So you could tell

ora.

u spent on it," Aurora said, and h

hand, breathing slowly through her nose. Her hands were still

thought about how many times she had told herself she wasn't enough, that something about her simply wasn't meant to be kept. Van

ady. She was not eight years old anymore, si

left twice in one lifetime and cried in a hallway about it. Not the orphan who

the same motion she'd made a dozen times already today, except th

uld decide what they saw. She would walk back through that ballroom with her head up, in

rate act of defiance. Guests turned as she passed, voices dropping, but she didn't slow down and she didn't look away from anyone

pushed them open herself, chin lifted, read

steps inside befor

oman shouting something Aurora couldn't quite make out. A man's voice, low and furious. Glass breaking s

y, one hand still pressed

ing, it seemed, was