Chapter 1

Today was the sixth time my girlfriend, Lyra Thorne, was supposed to meet my parents.

My parents and I waited at the bistro for four agonizing hours. During that time, I called her dozens of times, but she never picked up.

Just as I was about to dial one last time, Lyra's childhood best friend, Jace Sterling, posted a location tag at a boutique hotel on the outskirts of the city.

"From eighteen to eighty, we'll walk this path together."

The post featured a photo of a woman's bare, porcelain back. On her shoulder was a seductive, crimson spider lily tattoo.

A mutual friend commented, "First loves are always the best ship."

I silently tapped the heart icon and left a comment of my own.

"Make sure you're buried together when you die, too. Don't come back to haunt the world in your next life."

1.

The moment the main course was served, Lyra finally called. I declined it without a second thought.

A second later, a text popped up.

"Don't be so petty and jealous, Silas. We grew up together. What's wrong with wanting to be friends until we're eighty?"

"You have such a dirty mind. You see filth everywhere because you're filthy inside!"

"Anyway, Jace had a bit of a crisis out here, and I came to help him handle it. It started pouring rain, and he's not in good health."

"I was worried something would happen to him, so I booked a room to wait out the storm."

The messages kept flooding in, one after another. Not once did she mention the dinner she promised my parents today.

I stopped reading. My heart only ached for my mom and dad.

They were getting older. They had flown across the country just to meet the woman I loved, but Lyra was a no-show for the sixth time.

They were already deeply unhappy with her constant flakey behavior.

They only tolerated it because they knew how much I loved her.

"Mom, Dad, I'm so sorry. I let you down again."

My mom looked at me with pity. My dad's voice was flat.

"Silas, we won't tell you how to live your life. You make your own decisions. We'll just treat this as a trip to see you."

My eyes stung. I felt a lump in my throat.

In the five years I had been with Lyra, she had never once come home with me to visit them.

She was a high-powered attorney. She always said her time was worth hundreds of dollars an hour.

Yet, one phone call from Jace Sterling could make her drop everything. She would drive across the state for him or take a week off for a spontaneous vacation.

The difference between love and indifference was glaring. I had just been lying to myself for five years.

Sometimes, letting go only takes a single moment of clarity.

After dropping my parents off at their hotel, I got home at eleven.

Lyra was sitting on the sofa with a dark expression. The moment I walked in, she attacked.

"Coming home this late? Where the hell were you fooling around? You didn't answer my calls or texts!"

I listened to her classic move of playing the victim. I cut her off mid-sentence.

"Do you even remember what you were supposed to do today?"

"What was I supposed to do? I was at work. Or are you going to―"

She stopped abruptly. Her eyes shifted.

"I'm sorry. Are your parents still here? Tomorrow, I promise I won't forget!"

I looked at her calmly. "Don't bother."

I walked straight to the bedroom.

After a shower, I turned off the lights and climbed under the covers. A few minutes later, Lyra walked in.

She had showered too. She was wearing a black silk slip dress and slid into bed next to me like nothing had happened.

"Are you still mad at me?"

I kept my back to her and said nothing.

Lyra wrapped her arms around my waist. She leaned in and whispered into my ear.

"Honey, I'm sorry. I messed up this time."

"Jace got into a fender bender and called me. I was so worried that I completely blanked on the dinner."

When I still didn't respond, she forced me to turn around.

In the moonlight, I saw the spider lily tattoo on her shoulder. My mind flashed to Jace's Instagram post.

A wave of nausea hit me. I couldn't stop the words from coming out.

"What? Did Jace not satisfy you enough tonight?"

Lyra snapped upright. Her face was twisted with rage.

"Silas Grant! Are you ever going to stop? I explained everything! I even humbled myself to apologize. What more do you want?"

"And here I was, planning to take tomorrow off just to spend time with your parents."

I listened to her condescending tone. I looked her right in the eye.

"Lyra, don't force yourself. Let's break up."

I grabbed my pillow and walked out, heading to the guest room.

Lyra stood there frozen for a few seconds. Then, she slammed the bedroom door so hard the walls shook.