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My breath catches just before his lips brush mine.

“Are you sick?”

I jump.

Avery stands in my classroom doorway with her purse slung over one shoulder.

“You scared me.” I press my hand against my beating heart, fully blaming the erratic rhythm on Avery’s jump scare and not on the daydream my mind had just conjured up.

“Are you sick?” she repeats.

“No.” I lean back into my chair. “I was just trying to write my maid of honor speech.”

“Oh.” She grimaces. “That’s brutal.”

“Tell me about it.” I drag my hands down my face.

“Let’s hear what you’ve got.” She sets her purse down on a desk and walks over to me.

“I don’t have anything because every time I start to say something about Vinny and Juliet’s love, I delete it.”

“I see the problem.” Avery blows out a long, heavy breath. “Should we ask Chat to write it?”

I shoot her a pointed stare. “She’s my best friend. I can’t have ChatGPT write it. It’s morally wrong on every level.”

“You’re in a tough spot, then.” Avery’s lips push into a frown, and I know what’s coming. “So give it to me straight. The wedding is in three days. How are you really doing?”

I haven’t told her about last Saturday, about everything that happened between me and Vinny. About what almost happened. I’ll probably take that to my grave.

I put on a brave face. “It’s time, you know? We just need to pull the Band-Aid off. Get this wedding over with.”

“And your heart?”

My lips lift into the saddest smile. “It’s broken.”

“Oh, Emma.” She gives me a quick hug. “Right now, this all feels heavy because you’re letting go of what you hoped would happen.” She pulls back enough to meet my gaze. “With time, it will soften. You won’t always feel this sharp ache.”

“I know.” I nod, hanging onto my “brave face” with a death grip.

Footsteps echo from the hallway, and I glance toward the door.

And then I do a double-take.

Shane walks into my classroom with a smile and a bouquet of flowers. “Hey!”

My face splits into a smile. “What are you doing here?”

“I had a break at the hospital and wanted to see you.” He glances around at the tiny desks. “For a second, I didn’t think I was ever going to find you. There’s a surprising number of classrooms in an elementary school.”

I push away from my desk and give him a hug.

He’s wearing navy scrubs that are fitted in all the right places. His hair is slightly flattened on top, like he’s been wearing one of those surgical hats. And he’s holding flowers. For me.

“You brought me flowers,” I say as I pull back.

“I did.” His smile is hesitant. “Is that okay?”

“Yes.” I take them and bring them up to smell them.