rown at Elsie were completely unfiltered-cuttin

er way. He was gently fixing Grace's disheveled hair, the tendern

enly crept d

deserve an e

She probably had already become the biggest joke in Capemont, but even so, she hoped William would at

t a little easier to breath

his eyes as cold as if she were a

ust saw is

elt completely blocked. Even breathing started

ice far too casual. "Grace can't handle alcohol. William kissing he

e upset about that, aren't yo

them like some invisible wall, effortles

gether-it looked more li

een her

y. She showed up in a swimsuit, only to realize it was a formal

soaked in cold water all night. It was late autumn-she was burning with fever by the time she was rushed to th

ouldn't take a joke". Every time she got h

emembered that William used to lose his

o

ng a public show ou

the way" three years ago, it would've been Grace standing beside him today

-like getting sliced over and over with a dull knife-w

I won't bothe

fall and turned away. But she could still feel th

in her eyes just as she turned. Someth

shot Lucas a look befor

fused. "What? What

e the

ed that far when headl

her wrist roughly, and the next second,

t are yo

her off, his tone unreadable. In the dim lighting, th

e fr

for one last shot at salv

private room had sh

lence, only the low hum of

hoarse, "I just wanted to say, there's only one month left. No matter how much y

me just to get the

ach word like ice, "Even if you're in a hurry, you'll w

"As for our parents? They're way ha

ned a pale mix o

he window, suddenly drai

mething she could earn, no

t never changed. And he'd

everything. Saved herse

She forced down the lump in her throat. "Once the date hits, I'll s

u s

liam looking over at her. His eyes were dark

rn her a bit of kindness-but clearly, it didn't m

y she was sure, and that post-divo

sped toward them,

ree

st the asphalt. Elsie in

t come. Instead, her forehead land

ht in front of her was William's

own back ten years, to the boy who

during a sharp stop like this, say

nt, the floo

e shaking uncontrollably. "William, we weren't alwa

mething flickered in his gaze-something Elsi

er than steel. "From the moment you climbed into the wro