ea warming my hands. He had been telling me a funny story about one of his first dis

said softly, his eyes kind

atitude for his simple, uncomplicated friendship. In that moment,

d of a car door slamming and angry

ar

onto the porch, his face a mask of fury. His eyes darted from me

king with rage. "I spend two days looking

asked, stepping away from Ben, my b

"I'm not going anywhere. You're my fiancé

tepped between us, positioning h

irm. "Sarah doesn't want to go with you. I t

d my fiancée." He looked back at me, his gaze bypassing Ben as if he wasn't there

it stole my breath. "A fling? You're the one I found wit

This is different! You ran away, you hid at h

n't hurt because he missed me; he was angry

ith finality. I reached into my pocket and pull

e in the chest with a soft thud before f

e last shred of his control vanished. His face contorte

t at the curb. The door flew open and Emily Carter

he cried, rushi

e reached the porch, she stumbled and threw herself to the ground, right at my feet. She let

tly streaming down her face. "I was just tryi

ow steps. She had blatantly thrown herself onto the porch. It was

loyal assistant, on the ground, crying and bleeding. He saw me, the ang

of hatred and betrayal. "You see?" he screamed, his voice r

hadn't shown me in months. "It's okay, Emily. I'm here.

is promise hanging in

pered, his voice low and veno

car and sped away, leaving me and Ben standing on the porch in a stunned, horrified silence. The lie, so grotesque and unbelievable,