Nina Weeks passed after the party in the woods. Enzo and I realistically had all of the time in the world to plan our wedding, but neither of us wanted to wait. We planned to have the wedding on New Year’s Eve, which only gave us a few weeks to plan, but with the help of our friends and my father,
Nina “Nina,” Jessica called out. “It’s time.” I turned to face my friends with a teary-eyed smile. They were right; it was time for the wedding to begin. And now that I had my mom and my brother at my side, I felt happier than ever. Lori and Jessica led me inside while my mom and Taylor headed
Luke said nothing as he held the rings out for us, but as his eyes met mine, I could see a hint of pure joy in his teary gaze. I teared up a little, too, as I remembered how much our friendship had blossomed over the past few months. “You’ve grown so much,” Luke finally whispered so only I could h
Nina The tick of the lecture hall clock echoed with a relentless rhythm. Each second was a heartbeat closer to the close of the exam and to freedom. The winter had been bitterly cold, and the spring semester had been exhausting. But in that moment, in that vast room with its intense silence, I w
“We’ll all have to go,” Lori said, tucking a strand of black hair behind her ear. “Close out the semester on a good note.” Lori’s words were bittersweet. Because unbeknownst to anyone, Enzo had an announcement to make. A big, huge, life-altering announcement. And it was bound to ruffle some feathe
Nina Enzo leaned heavily on the divider, staring quietly down at the ice. “Enzo?” I prodded him, lifting his chin to meet my gaze. “Tell me you’ve made the announcement.” “I… Erm…” He cleared his throat, his brown eyes darting around somewhat nervously. “Maybe. Sort of.” I folded my arms acr
Before I could reply, the very subject of our conversation made his presence known. “Nina! Enzo!” Matt’s voice echoed across the arena, filled with his characteristic exuberance. I glanced at Enzo, raising an eyebrow as we both turned to greet him. Matt, ever the athlete, was dressed in his usua
Nina The warm, golden hue of the vanity lights cast a soft glow over my reflection, emphasizing the gentle waves in my black hair and the understated smoky eye I had managed after three failed attempts. My fingers worked meticulously as I applied the final touch—a deep shade of maroon to my lips.
Nina The warm summer breeze brushed across my skin as I stood on the patio, clutching my robe tightly around my body. Laughter and splashes echoed up from the pool below, where our friends were already gathered for our big end-of-summer party. I should have been down there too, soaking up the ve
“What... what do you mean?” He braced his hands on the doorframe, leaning in closer with a heavy sigh. “I mean, by the time I caught up to them this morning, I only saw them long enough to get that photo before they were boarding a speedboat and taking off. Hell, I’m still not even totally sure wh
Nina My breath caught in my throat as I pulled open the front door expecting to see excited party guests, only to be immediately met with the sight of Luke’s grim expression. His brow was furrowed in a deep frown, his lips pressed into a tight line—clear signs that something was very wrong. “Luk
Nina I huffed out a breath as I hoisted the oversized cardboard box higher in my arms, carefully navigating my way through the living room. Strings of fairy lights poked out haphazardly from the top, and I could feel the weight of glass jars and other assorted decor inside shifting precariously wi
Then, at the last possible second, the scout seemed to find an extra burst of speed. He surged forward, hurtling between two towering oak trees and vanishing into the cover of the forest beyond. “Dammit!” I slammed my palms against the rough bark of the nearest trunk, powerless to do anything but
Enzo The crunch of leaves and snap of twigs echoed through the trees as Matt and I tore after the Schreiber scout. Our breaths came in ragged gasps, the hot summer air burning our lungs. Overhead, a little red bird chirped and flitted through the green canopy of trees; Daphne. But even she wasn’
Shaking my head, I turned without another word and stormed out of the fitting room. I took the two strides across the hall to Jessica’s fitting room and knocked on the door, folding my arms across my chest. “Jess? You in there?” There was a muffled thump in the fitting room, followed by the soun
Nina “How’s it looking in there?” I called out, rapping lightly on the wooden door of Jessica’s fitting room. “Um… decent, I guess?” her muffled voice floated back a moment later, although I could sense the uncertainty in her tone. “Decent? That’s it? Come on, Jess, this is your wedding gown w
Had I really known him at all, I wondered? Or had I merely been too self-absorbed and naive to see past the facade of unshakable command he projected? After a long silence, I found my voice. “Why didn’t he ever tell me that?” “He didn’t want you to see his weakness, I suppose,” Angelica replied