Eighteen Days to Forget You

t off her waist-length hair and called her father, announcing her deci

she'd always insisted on staying with Jarrett. Alayna forced a laugh, revealing the painfu

twisted a knife in Alayna's heart. She remembered how his tenderness used to be hers alone, how he had given her her first harmonica when she was eight, becoming her

d pieces back together. Her love, however, didn't die, not even w

ut that fire out herself. She had

pte

on cut off her waist-length hair. She stood in front of the mirror and smoked

alled her father

the UC Berkeley C

ice wa

alifornia. I want to

er your mom and I divorced, I settled down here. I always asked you to come over,

ch were red and swollen. She

o walk to the end to k

er voice shak

right for me, his sister with no blo

"It's good you've figured it out. Come live wit

yna said, t

he went to the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face. She had t

n the study. She hesitated for a moment, then pulled up he

tt's voice was c

re gold-rimmed glasses and looked elegant, aloo

n who was her step-brother. He was also the se

een, his brow furrowed in a sl

sitating. "The college adm

bbly ringtone cut through the quiet

his phone, and a gentle smile spread across his f

e wedding planner. Just tell them to arrange whatev

na's chest. Jarrett's tenderne

ly in the grand mansion, lost and alone. Young Jarrett had walked over and handed her a delicate

musical dreams, and the begi

rom college, she gave him everything. She gave him a diary filled

ped the gift box over, sending its

ck? I'm your brother! Do you

ut a second glance. Alayna cried as she pi

igh school, Jarrett brought a

er 'sister-in-l

at the ninety-nine steps she had taken through thorns to reach him meant nothi

n her heart for years now felt lik

ut that fire out herself. She had