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'S
'm telling you Nathan
bed, urging me to break up with the lov
k out a beautiful dress for my date wit
was Nathan's birthday. I had a surprise for him. A very
not him. I told you I saw him with that girl who is always insulting you at the cafe. Wh
red, confusion e
gela bullies and insults me. He was the one who said I sh
ying to remember. "Yes. Angela. The blond
lease Mer. Will you stop it? This is Nathan we are talking about. Nathan that has always
nning on going through with the marri
't matter as long as we are in love
stood up and crossed over to meet me, taking me int
rt, I appreciate it but sometimes can't you be a little bit le
r hands this time. "And I pray it goes very smoothly. So I
______
is switched off. Your call i
off th
ed over the sc
ho
e restaurant in the city. A place where the air smelled like cash and the
walked instead of taking the bus, taken more shif
r
appeared beside me. His smile was professional, polished, but his eyes fl
ispered, managing to
l the stares, soft and pitying, from the other diners. The woman in an expensive glittering gown worth
one decent dress she owned, her eyeliner beginning to smudge, her
on. For a second, my heart lifted in
I can't make it to today's
missed calls. The last text I'd sent was three hours ago:
a devil. He always stressed Nathan out, and
s the hotel. I can just urge him to come over to the
s beside me a moment later.
e check,
ke box held tightly against my chest. I wasn't paying att
x to prevent it from falling before I l
Na
d, detached expression, his lips a thin, stern line, and h
quickly, my voice tr
nd walked toward the restaurant doors like m
I lifted my hand and hailed a cab. One stopp
?" the dr
"623 Westview Terrace," I recit
feel chills run down my body, I have no id
t, waiting until it drove away. I
ng through the walls. The front windows flashed with b
was go
was so loud I could feel it through the
It turned. The d
open and ste
re. Crowded in the hall, spilling out of the living room, drinks i
was pressed against the wall, kissing
the music. "Do you k
g. He bumped into the girl, th
in disgust and wait
, and slurred, "Dunno. Prob'ly
dropped. "Y
And stop spoilin' my mood." He turned back to the gir
toward the stairs. I avoided stumbling bodies a
losed door. My heart was
be true. Pleas
t. An empt
next door. My h
hed i
ake box slipped from my fingers and hit the
ng over the sound of hi
the blonde haired,
longed to my
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