I was lost in the thought of Zade again, thinking about how he’d just… left. I could still feel his touch, hear his voice telling me, “I’ll be back for you, Ella. I promise.” How could he promise that and then vanish? And then... be with Rose?
I didn’t even know how to make sense of it. Rose, my cousin. My family.
And the worst part? I couldn’t even hate her. She didn’t ask for this. She didn’t choose Zade over me. But he chose her. And he didn’t just break the bond between us; he shattered the trust I had in everything-in-in—in myself.
“Dammit, Zade...” I whispered, eyes squeezed shut, wishing the memories would stop swirling.
Suddenly, Steppy’s voice broke through my thoughts like a scream. “Girl, you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I jumped, my heart leaping in my chest.
