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.

I’d seen it too.

up together, sitting next to each other through twelve

like fate was pushing

brushing of hands, the late–night study

it all as part of our journey together.

absolutely nothing to do with him.

I didn’t have the emotional strength to explain everything to my parents or deal with the fallout with Zephyr. I’d just let

a fresh cherry in my hand, smiling warmly: “Someone came to see you earlier, brought

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Chapter 2

a while. Just stepped out but they’ll

a flutter of something I hated

cherries were my favorite–besides my parents, only Zephyr knew.

my emotions

the bathroom, the cruel words–a tiny, pathetic part of

realized what he’d done.

could somehow go back

years of my

hospital room door soon opened after a gentle knock, and a warm male voice called out: “Mrs. Johnson? How’s Phoebe doing? Any better?”