Chapter 1
After traveling back in time, I cut Cary Fox out of my life for good.
He got into Lumora Military Academy? Sweet, I swapped my application to University of Eldridge Police Department.
Gotta keep a whole lotta miles between us—outta sight, outta mind.
Christmas Eve, he came knocking? I hit the road for a spontaneous trip.
Calls? Ignored. Texts? Left on read.
When he transferred to my city, I requested a transfer out.
Didn't even catch a glimpse of him.
In my last go-round, I was crazy about him for thirty years. Thirty years of him giving me the cold shoulder.
By my forties, cancer struck.
As I lay dying alone in a hospital bed, Cary was busy prepping his new home to marry Holly.
The two boys I raised with everything I had? They were too wrapped up in their dad's wedding plans to give a damn.
And me? I was all alone, lying in a hospital bed, just waiting for the end.
That kind of wasted life? I was done with it.
*****
After hitting "submit" on my college apps, I felt like I could finally breathe.
No more Cary drama. Done and dusted.
Here was the kicker: nobody knew I was a time traveler.
The Common App Early Decision deadline's looming—tomorrow at noon.
I was paranoid the Wi-Fi would crash and burn.
That was why I pulled an all-nighter tweaking my college picks.
In my previous life, I was obsessed with Cary. Chased him my whole life, resented him just as long.
It got me nothing but a heart full of regrets when I kicked the bucket.
This time, I was steering clear of him.
Like, different-planet-level clear.
July 13th was my eighteenth birthday, and I got plans.
I was gonna look Cary dead in the eyes and say, "Hey, I'm not marrying you. You're free, dude."
And I only had fifteen days left.
I'd just stepped out of the internet café when my phone pinged with a text from Cary.
It read: [Hanging with the guys, gonna be late. Cover for me? Thx.]
I fired back a lazy [Yup.]
Cary and I? We were tight—grew up together, practically family.
His dad and my dad were war buddies, and his mom, Simona, was my mom's BFF and coworker.
I crashed at their place for three years, calling Simona by her first name like she was my own mom.
Honestly, she spoiled me more than she did Cary.
I was crushing hard on Cary, but he only had eyes for Holly.
My plan was to shove those feelings deep down and just be his "little sis" forever.
But then, at our senior year grad party, Cary dragged me to a bar.
I got plastered, and while I was in the bathroom, two sleazeballs cornered me.
If Cary hadn't noticed I was MIA and come looking, I don't even wanna think about what could've gone down.
That night messed me up bad. I felt like I'd been stomped on, humiliated. I almost didn't make it through—came this close to checking out for good.
Simona flipped out, said Cary should've had my back, and basically strong-armed him into agreeing to an engagement.
He felt so guilty, he said we'd make it official once college acceptances rolled in.
Holly? Oh, she was not having it. Threw a total fit when she heard about the engagement.
Cary was bending over backward to smooth things over with her.
In my old life, that boy was crazy about Holly.
He'd toss his principles, his future, hell, even his soul, just to keep her happy.
The harder I tried to hold onto him, the more I lost. My pride, my sanity, everything.
And the more I lost, the more I lashed out.
I tried every trick in the book to go against them, just to drag them down with me.
By the end, even Simona, who was like a second mom, wouldn't speak to me.
My two boys—kids I poured my heart into raising—they turned on me too.
I overheard them one day. "Mom's so miserable, she'd be better off gone. Then Dad and Holly could finally be together. Thirty years is a long-ass time."
This time around, I was not playing the bad guy who wrecks their fairy-tale romance.
I was done with those ungrateful kids too.
I was letting them go, and I was letting me go.
Switching up my college apps was my first move to break free from Cary. I picked schools in totally different cities—ones he'd never even consider. Early Decision, locked and loaded.
This was me, finally living for myself.