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.

seen it

each other through twelve years of school,

all seemed like fate was

of hands, the late–night study sessions, even

it all as part of our journey

I wanted absolutely nothing to do

the fallout

in my hand, smiling warmly: “Someone came to see you earlier, brought a huge box of

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Chapter 2

out but they’ll be back any minute.

heart skipped a beat, a flutter of something I hated

knew cherries were my favorite–besides my parents, only

blanket tightly, my

cruel words–a tiny, pathetic part of me

he’d realized what he’d

he’d apologize and things could somehow go back to before I knew the

wasted years of my life loving someone

a gentle knock, and a warm male voice called out: “Mrs. Johnson?