RY
rt black dress and applied enough makeup to look like I care
ng once-over. "There she is.
The thumping music and flashin
oor. As we climbed the stairs, we saw them immediat
epting congratulations and compliments. Fuller was beaming,
the crowd. The noise level dipped for
ng with a complicated expression. Haleigh's arm
t to the bar and ordered a vodka
e on my mobile phone sou
y change your mind a
g, "Your status is not suitable for attending toda
ain of the ice hockey te
message. I can't imagine how much impact it w
ggered over, a beer in his hand. "Well, well, look what we have here," he dra
hat could freeze fi
h your mouth, Chad, or I'll shove
wave. His brow was furrowed. "Willing to come here to my
od, I just came here to drink," I said lightly.
his voice a low . "Avery, come
rm, but I jerked ba
awing attention. The music see
hispered, loud enough for everyone nearby to hear. "I know you've always liked him, but we
s were so absurd
urning in my throat, my voice clear and steady. "Fuller Bond, in front of a
t. I needed the fi
curious faces of his teammates,
stant than I had ever heard it. "Avery, I've always considered you a... a
od f
t me like a
onlookers. I saw Chad smirk and whisper
finally shattered. All my fight, all my dign
ed my
y vodka soda directly int
the crowd and Haleigh's theatr
cold night air, running blindly across the campus green. I could
nto a deserted bench under a large oak tree. The sobs I had be
love. A joke. I h
there until I froze
ver my shoulders. A jacket, smelli
y vision blurr
ed against the moonlight like some
/1/126341/coverbig.jpg?v=b006898f0fee4110750c7e4e152e4471&imageMogr2/format/webp)