NovelOnline• Chapter 8 • When I opened my eyes again, I was in a hospital room.
• Mom helped raise my bed, her face lined with worry: "How are you feeling, honey? Still hurting?" • "Sweetheart, I know senior year is crazy important, but you can't keep pushing yourself this hard." • "You spent your entire summer break at that competition instead of relaxing. I know grades matter, but all I care about is you being healthy and happy." • My throat tightened with emotion, her concern washing overlike a warm blanket, and I • mumbled: "I know." • I hadn't told Mom about the Stanford automatic admission from winning the competition.
• Before all this, I'd planned my entire future around attending UC Davis with Zephyr, or at least somewhere close by.
• Zephyr and I had been in this weird almost-relationship for so long that both our families had • • noticed and seemed thrilled about it.
• Everyone just assumed we were endgame-that we'd naturally end up together.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt• That's how I'd seen it too.
• Growing up together, sitting next to each other through twelve years of school, our moms being best ⚫ friends-it all seemed like fate was pushing us together.
• The occasional brushing of hands, the late-night study sessions, even his bad-boy phase-I'd • accepted it all as part of our journey together.
• • Now, I wanted absolutely nothing to do with him.
• But I didn't have the emotional strength to explain everything to my parents or deal with the fallout with Zephyr. I'd just let things naturally implode and pick up the pieces later.
• Mom put a fresh cherry in my hand, smiling warmly: "Someone cto see you earlier, brought a huge box of these black cherries-they're your favorite, right?" • 12.47 • The Ruined Bride of Velvet Nights • 35.0% · • Chapter 2 • "They stayed by your bed for quite a while. Just stepped out but they'll be back any minute. You should thank them when they return." • My heart skipped a beat, a flutter of something I hated myself for feeling.
• Not many people knew cherries were my favorite-besides my parents, only Zephyr knew.
· • I clutched the blanket tightly, my emotions a chaotic storm.
• Despite everything-the humiliation, the bathroom, the cruel words-a tiny, pathetic part ofhoped it was him.
• That he'd realized what he'd done.
• That he'd apologize and things could somehow go back to before I knew the truth.
• That maybe, just maybe, I hadn't wasted years of my life loving someone who sawas nothing.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm• The hospital room door soon opened after a gentle knock, and a warm male voice called out: "Mrs. Johnson? How's Phoebe doing? Any better?" I turned my head, heart racing stupidly.
The boy who entered wore a neat white button-down shirt, his slender fingers absently adjusting his cuffs.
His voice was soft and measured, his smile genuine but slightly shy. It was e Sid koxley. That last tiny ember of hope in my chest went cold.
Even though I definitely didn't want to see Zephyr after everything he'd done,
The moment I realized it wasn't him, my heart twisted with a sharp, hollow ache-the final confirmation that everything between us was truly over. 12:47 )~ (0) The Ruined Bride of Velvet Nights 35.5 Chapter 9 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLliIofifl0&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1
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