s. The doctor confirmed it: a clean break in my ulna. They put my

only thought was Chloe. I had to talk to h

o fumble for my phone

raight to

lap in the face. "Hi, you've reached Chloe! I can'

raight to voicemail every tim

ssaging app an

talk to me. I'm at the hospital.

at it, waiting for the three little dots tha

aybe she didn't have her phone. But I knew better. The cold dread in

bove me. The physical pain in my arm was a dull, constant throb, but the

t message, a d

on't they mean anythi

Delivered." She read it and chose to say nothing. The silence was her answ

later, and for a foolish sec

oe. It was a message f

ened

on his shoulder, a blissful smile on her face. Mark was smirking at the camera, a look of pure tr

o was a single

verything up, buddy.

s fro

It was so potent it made me shake. He wasn't just stealing her, he

l button. I had to hear her v

Mark answered on the first

Look who deci

loe," I said, my v

oice came on the line. It was hesitant, annoy

ds feeling heavy in my mouth. "Your new h

d, the apology sounding rehearsed and empty. "It's just...

on, Chloe? The wedding you and I plann

ely. "People change. I chose Mark.

e you deserve? What about the fact that his

said, as if that excused it. "You shouldn

with a broken arm because she stole our weddi

ith our friends. Mark was there, clowning around as usual. When the photographer was setting up a group sho

l, cheap frame for our graduation p

f us," I had told her, handing it to

and kissed me

ked away in a drawer. In its place, on her nightstand, wa

nds," she had said when I asked.

e one she wanted on her nightstand. I was just the placeholder, the safe choice, the convenient

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