ld hav
ehind my ribs, I think I always did. But I still
ck with perfume and champagne and privilege. These were the children of Manhattan's elite. I belonged here, technical
ana asked, looping her arm through mi
n't returned my texts in days. He said he needed s
the end, and I hat
ry. "You deserve better than a boy who
ne who ever tried to understand me after Mom died. He made me laugh when I tho
sense. I needed him
en I s
resting casually on a girl's waist. She was beautiful. Curvy. Her dress hugged her curves like s
ed working. My
arply, pulling at my wrist. "
inking at that moment, I mean... I nev
e I was walking into fire, but I couldn't stop. I needed to hear him
ile faltered for a second, just a seco
to keep my voice steady
ked at the girl on his arm lik
talking just
gled. I want
s going on. You disappeared and you didn't respond
tasted l
ned fully to me, h
re never serious
ly. "That's not tr
hat you wanted to hear. Let's not act like this
el people watching now, eyes
d. "You met my father. You stayed with me
it out of obligation. You're my dad's fr
silence. H
behind me mut
llowed, Low
y throat felt li
voice trembling. "You
lie
like
I wanted to scream. I wanted to disappear. But all I did was stan
on his arm said, smirking.
they turned away.
abe
my hand, her face red with fury. "You
ring. Someone laughed agai
l me out. I di
ight was too c
the music, I felt everything crash down at once. My heel
spered, my vo
ped my knee, wrapped my arms around myself like that could hold me t
oked, my throat raw. "Li
e tight, one hand on the back of my hea
d fiercely. "You were in love. Th
words barely coming out. "In front o
I didn't care. I couldn't stop shaking. I had never felt so small in my life. Not when my mother died. Not even wh
his was
voice barely audible. "After Mom...
rabelle. He saw what he wanted. He saw a girl
thought maybe he'd come back. That he'd say
ead he ripped your heart out in front of a room ful
ls dug into my arms. I wanted to stop feeling, stop remem
," Lana added. "You gave him your trust.
ut I didn't care. The ache inside w
. Then I whispered, "
e like Julian feed off the love they don't deserve. And you, Arabe
htened again,
elieve her just ye
left behind on that ballroom floor. And still, somewhere deep bene
was for a
I could do was
. I'd learn to