Chapter 1

1

Mrs. Thompson offered me a cool million to ditch her son.

I thought Ethan and I were the real deal, so I was gonna joke about it with him.

Yeah, that didn’t happen. After a pretty great afternoon, I accidentally answered his phone.

"Honey, do you think the wedding invites should be embossed or just plain?"

I felt like I'd been plunged into ice water.

Ethan was getting married? What the hell was I to him?

The day he tied the knot, I boxed up every single memory of us and mailed it to him, then hopped on a plane outta here.

Two years later, Ethan pulled every string he could find to lure me back, all so I could watch some fireworks.

Up on the old fort, the cherry blossoms were falling like rain, and he was staring at me with bloodshot eyes.

"Remember when you were nineteen, you said anyone who watches fireworks together is bound for life? Does that still count?"

…

After things got heated between us, Ethan went to take a shower.

I was lying in bed, talking to him through the glass door. "Ethan, your mom came to see me today."

His voice was muffled. "What was that?"

Suddenly, his phone started buzzing like crazy. I groaned, my muscles aching, and grabbed it.

A bright, cheery voice chirped, "Honey, do you think the wedding invites should be embossed or just plain?"

I felt like I’d been plunged into ice water.

So, his mom was telling the truth. Ethan was getting married.

What the hell was I?

Ethan came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. I was still frozen in the same position. He nuzzled my neck, asking, “Something wrong?”

I pushed him away, trying to sound casual, “Your fiancée wants to know if she should emboss her invitations.”

Without hesitation, he ripped off the towel, threw on a designer suit, and bolted out the door.

That night, I scrubbed myself raw, but I couldn’t wait up for Ethan to call, because he didn’t.

Ethan and I went to high school together. Back then, he was the golden boy, the rich kid everyone worshipped.

Girls were lining up to date him, he had a ton of love letters in his locker everyday. I really couldn't believe he’d be interested in someone like me.

So, when he confessed he had feelings for me at graduation, I didn't believe him.

He went out of his way to prove he was serious and came with me to my family lake house, and ate at the local dive bar.

For two whole months, he told me he liked me every day, scared I’d forget.

Finally, right before college started, I agreed to be his girlfriend.

We had the best years together, like any other normal college couple would.

After graduation, he took over the family business, and I landed a job teaching English at the best private school in the city.

Turns out, the guy who financed the school was one of Ethan’s buddies.

It hit me then that my life had been connected to Ethan for years.

And now, all it takes is one phone call from his fiancée, and he drops everything.

Worried he’d waste a second of her time, that would make her upset.

I didn’t even know when he got a fiancée.

And that was it for us, one year gone.