ell'

d seeing Arabella Hayes again in the

was a

ed this a hu

middle of the crowded room and was

s she wa

s she wa

've been imagining at four in the morning, she ran int

p before she co

ned meeting her kneel

n her medical vo

d to be the biggest event of my l

sitting in

somewhere am

cored tw

onds away f

ing was

had thrown me

ly person capable of making

bel

s diff

, she was

could chang

tail. She had lost her childish softness. There was something in

yes were

o

se

I had been try

ail

ir

was cal

lin

ho was looking down at me. "C

the

oo

hadn't moved an inch, she looked

pri

f she's go

n't bla

her badge hangi

LLA H

ye

nside of me

kept t

why it affect

in my father's study with a wedding invita

her name written ne

r pushed

m you," he said. "Her family

t belie

at f

on card, which was the announcemen

o to school, she had told me NO. Only to see t

ry, devas

e that to me, she knew

ow I felt

d perfectly to have not

lled

dn't p

calle

espo

ted until

no re

ing, I left f

t year blaming h

etending it di

ost convincing

, I was almost

mo

utiful in my fourth year. Wearing the same

wedding ne

she brok

the man

hap

pped

as dan

that the

cing dizziness?"

listene

s looking a

't the lo

't even

as far more

fus

ea why I'm looking

hat I have been thinki

up?" the tr

odd

d me to

didn't l

at my med

void look

al Ar

d to hide behind the books

till

s the book

ost s

mo

ur years had disappeared. I could see the g

dies, claiming that they

promised to

ving long before I un

had chosen

tightened.

fr

all on he

LLA H

ce ch

fus

bel

ngerously close to ho

ooked

vor