Chapter 4

I slammed the door, and the motion sensor light in the entryway flickered on.

I rushed into my room and tore through everything like a madman.

I grabbed the Little Prince figurine from the top shelf, the collectibles she'd given me from the cabinet, and the faded movie ticket stubs from the drawer.

I shoved everything that reminded me of Jessica into a cardboard box.

A glass jar full of paper stars fell from the shelf and shattered across the floor.

Jessica had stayed up all night folding three hundred and sixty-five stars for my eighteenth birthday. She'd written "Jessica loves Ryan" inside each one.

I stared at the glittering pieces scattered everywhere and suddenly laughed.

I carried the heavy box outside and threw it in the trash. A few sparrows scattered as it hit the bottom with a thud.

My parents still weren't home, so I called my mom, Alisha Foster.

"Mom," I said, and my voice sounded eerily calm. "Cancel the engagement. Jessica and I broke up."

When Alisha got home, I was pressing an ice pack to my face.

She took one look at me and gasped. Her well-manicured hands were trembling. "Who did this to you?" she asked.

I buried my head in her shoulder and breathed in the familiar scent of her fabric softener. Suddenly, I was sobbing like a child.

Everything came flooding back—Jessica's coldness, Colin's mocking laughter, the harsh stares from everyone at the office.

Everything I'd been holding back came pouring out.

After I told her the whole story, Alisha didn't even care about her usual graceful composure and stormed right out the door.

Jessica's mom, Kelly Evans, answered the door wearing an apron and holding fresh-cut flowers she was about to arrange. "What's going on?" she started to say.

"Your daughter hit Ryan over some intern?" Alisha's voice turned ice-cold. "Mrs. Evans, be honest with me. The Foster family has never wronged the Evans family, and I've never laid a finger on Ryan in his entire life."

Kelly stammered out a defense. "Jessica didn't mean to—"

Alisha cut her off. "I don't want to hear it. The engagement is off."

That night, Alisha and I sat together on the window seat and watched the stars.

Her familiar jasmine perfume reminded me of childhood fevers, when she'd stay up all night watching over me the same way.

I buried my face in her shoulder. "Mom," I said, my voice muffled, "will this mess up your business? Me being so selfish?"

Alisha ran her fingers through my hair. "I'd be lying if I said it won't affect us, but sweetie, that's not your problem to worry about. You just focus on being happy, and if everything falls apart, your dad and I will handle it."

*****

The next day, Jessica pounded on my door like she was trying to break it down.

When I opened it, she was standing under the porch light, and her chest was heaving. She was still clutching that rain-soaked cardboard box.

"Ryan!" Her voice came out hoarse. "What the hell is wrong with you now?"

I stayed silent and tilted my face up so she could see the angry handprint on my left cheek.

After a night, the slap she'd given me looked even worse.

The bruise had spread under my skin, and the five-finger marks were turning purple, like a brand of shame burned into my face.

Jessica's eyes went wide. She reached out, and her fingers froze inches from my cheek. "How did you—" She stared at the mark on my face. "I didn't hit you that hard."

I let out a cold laugh and pulled away from her touch.

I used to show her every little paper cut and pout like a kid. "Jessi, it hurts," I'd whine.

She'd roll her eyes and call me a baby, but she'd always patch me up anyway.

And now she was the one who'd slapped me.

Jessica stared at me like she didn't recognize me. She'd never seen me this cold before.

"I'm sorry, Ryan. I didn't mean to," she said. "You were bullying an intern at the company and I got angry—"

I cut her off. "Since you're here, I'll make this clear. We're done. The engagement between our families is over."

I looked her straight in the eye. "From now on, pretend you don't know me. If you see me on the street, walk the other way. And don't ever show up at my door like this again."

Her eyes widened, and I saw the pain hit her.