The Ruined Bride of Velvet Nights by Brick Moving Ant

Chapter 5

Our team had won gold at the competition, which meant automatic acceptance to

Stanford–basically a golden ticket.

Initially, I had declined the offer.

Because I wanted to attend UC Davis with Zephyr.

My mom and Zephyr’s mom had been best friends since college.

Zephyr and I grew up together–sandbox to high school, the whole cliché.

But after his parents‘ nasty divorce, Zephyr’s grades tanked.

He completely checked out of school, becoming the textbook rebellious rich kid.

He fell in with guys who were already dealing, started smoking, drinking, getting into fights–living

like there was no tomorrow.

He became the school’s resident bad boy with a capital B.

Yet girls still flocked to him, buying into that whole “damaged but desirable” fantasy.

I couldn’t stand watching him destroy himself.

I tried to reach him, understand him, drag him back from the edge.

mate and class rep to

to chase away his sketchy friends, practically frog–marching him home with me

him, pursued him, convinced I could

my back,

Zephyr’s girlfriend,

Chapter 5

but a desperate slut, following Zephyr round

throwing herved

of it got to

I heard Zephyr saying

suddenly felt like

as I’d been when Zephyr kissed

equally destroyed

that

of desire stealing my breath, branded into my

was my first

touched

scraps of fabric on the floor that barely qualified

that happened today,

shame came

Tears fell.

myself hard across

fucking together, Phoebe!

No more fantasies.

obsessing

those things violently into

Chapter S