Nate:This arrangement is over.
My heart drops to my stomach, and all fight in me leaves at once.
Margaret was wrong—there is nothing left to fight for when the other person has already made up their mind.
That’s when I slip off the engagement ring that’d been weighing down my finger for the past four months, only to feel an even heavier load on my heart.
CHAPTER 34
VIVIENNE
I told myself I had no tears left to cry, but that couldn’t have been further from the truth.
All it took was one movie where two reluctant people fall in love, break up, and find their way back to each other to refill my tear ducts.
For someone who’s avoided relationships for so long, it doesn’t make sense why I love rom-coms as much as I do, but sitting here, stewing in my sadness, I’ve finally figured out why. They have something I’ve always wanted, something that’s always seemed so close yet so far out of reach—a happily ever after.
From the death of my parents to my tragic university relationship, and for the longest time, my failed chemistry, I turned to these movies as an outlet to escape the harsh truths of my reality. Now that I’ve had a taste of the very things I’ve yearned for and had them ripped away, I’ve fallen back into old habits.
Feet propped up on the couch, heavy blanket slung over me, and a bowl of jumbo roasted peanuts in hand. I spent the last two hours bawling over a blond girl in a gorgeous yellow dress and her love match. The only difference is that she got her man by the end, and I’ve lost mine.
With fresh tears in my eyes and an even deeper hollow in my heart, I do the one thing I told myself I’d never do—look him up on the internet.
It’s been less than a week, but I miss his face, his smile, the way he looked at me when he thought I wasn’t watching. The answer to what he’s been doing is at the tip of my fingers, and when I finally cave, the headlines have me roped in for a wild ride.
Archer Aviation x SkyWay Airlines: How These Two Companies Plan on Revolutionizing Air Travel.
From Fountain Flop to Flying High: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Ultimate Comeback ala Nate Archer.
Chemistry Conference Chaos: Everything We Know About Nate Archer’s Shocking Split from Fiancée.
The last headline splits my already broken heart. I’m not sure how they’ve already gotten that information. Maybe they spotted my bare ring finger, or Nate tipped off the press. Regardless, I choose to ignore it when the news is mostly focused on his company.
Three knocks on the door startle me.
I freeze, wondering who it could be. We never got any visitors, and my best friends won’t be back home until later in the evening.
“Wrong door for delivery,” I yell out.
When another knock follows, I stand up in frustration.
“As I said, we didn’t order anything!” I say louder this time, making sure whoever it is hears me. “If it’s knitting supplies,then they're for Mrs. Smith, and she’s on the other side of the hallway.”
I stop abruptly at the thought.
I’ve never knitted before, but it sounds like the perfect, tear-free hobby…definitely better than watching people fall in love.
“Actually, the delivery is mine! Don’t knock on her door, please.”
With thoughts of stealing knitting supplies, I open the door—and find no one.
My gaze falls on my science-themed pajamas, wool-socked feet, and theTrespassers Will Be Used forSciencedoormat.
There’s absolutely nothing here.
I slam the door behind me with a resounding bang, angry that I’ve been ding-dong ditched by some kidwhen a white napkin slides under. It lands at the tips of my toes, the words scribbled in blue ink.
I know I disappeared, is written in handwriting I don’t recognize.
