The Ruined Bride of Velvet Nights by Brick Moving Ant

Chapter 8

When I opened my eyes again, I was in a hospital room.

Mom helped raise my bed, her face lined with worry: “How are you feeling, honey? Still hurting?”

“Sweetheart, I know senior year is crazy important, but you can’t keep pushing yourself this hard.”

“You spent your entire summer break at that competition instead of relaxing. I know grades matter, but all I care about is you being healthy and happy.”

My throat tightened with emotion, her concern washing over me like a warm blanket, and I

mumbled: “I know.”

I hadn’t told Mom about the Stanford automatic admission from winning the competition.

Before all this, I’d planned my entire future around attending UC Davis with Zephyr, or at least somewhere close by.

Zephyr and I had been in this weird almost–relationship for so long that both our families had

noticed and seemed thrilled about it.

Everyone just assumed we were endgame–that we’d naturally end up together.

how I’d seen

next to each other through twelve years of school,

like fate was pushing us together.

occasional brushing of hands, the late–night study sessions, even

all as part of our

nothing to do

explain everything to my parents or deal with the fallout with Zephyr. I’d just let things naturally implode

a fresh cherry in my hand, smiling warmly: “Someone came to see you earlier, brought a huge box of these black cherries–they’re your favorite, right?”

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Ruined Bride of Velvet

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Chapter 2

your bed for quite a while. Just stepped out but they’ll be back

a beat, a flutter of something I hated

were my

my

tiny, pathetic part of me hoped it was

he’d realized what he’d

go back to before I knew the truth.

wasted years of my life

opened after a gentle knock, and a warm male