Chapter 2

I woke before dawn, my eyes puffy and raw from a night of crying. The ceiling of my childhood bedroom stared back at me, familiar yet suddenly alien. How could everything change so completely in just twenty-four hours?

My phone lay face-down on the nightstand where I'd thrown it after Nathan's call. I hadn't checked it since. No doubt there were concerned messages from friends who'd seen Isabella's posts—more pictures of my boyfriend (ex-boyfriend?) enjoying what was supposed to be our special weekend.

I sat up abruptly. I couldn't stay here, suffocating in this room with all its memories. The walls seemed to close in, plastered with photos of Nathan and me through the years—homecoming, prom, his eighteenth birthday when I'd surprised him with tickets to see his favorite band.

"Just for me," I whispered, grabbing my keys from the dresser. "Today is just for me."

I scribbled a quick note for my parents and slipped out while the house was still quiet. The familiar drive to Sunset Ridge took only twenty minutes, the roads empty in the early morning light. It had always been our special place—mine and Nathan's. The place where we'd shared our first kiss at fourteen, where we'd watched countless sunrises and made endless promises.

Today, I would reclaim it for myself.

The parking lot was nearly empty when I arrived, just a few cars belonging to dedicated early-morning hikers. The air was crisp, carrying the scent of pine and morning dew. I pulled my light jacket tighter around me and started up the trail, each step feeling like a tiny act of rebellion.

As I climbed, the sky transformed from inky blue to a watercolor palette of pinks and golds. At a particularly stunning moment, I paused to take a photo, my breath creating small clouds in the cool air.

"Just for me," I repeated, my voice stronger this time. Not to send to Nathan, not to post online—just to remember that I could still find beauty in the world, even with my heart in pieces.

The trail grew steeper as I approached the summit. My calves burned with the effort, but the physical pain was almost a relief from the emotional turmoil. I pushed harder, faster, wanting to reach the top before the sun fully crested the horizon.

And then I was there—the flat, rocky outcropping that offered a panoramic view of the valley below. The place where, six years ago, Nathan had nervously taken my hand and pressed his lips to mine for the first time.

I closed my eyes, letting the golden light wash over my face, feeling something like peace for the first time since yesterday's betrayal. When I opened them again, my world shattered for the second time in twenty-four hours.

There, not thirty feet away, stood Nathan. His crisp white shirt practically glowed in the morning light, a stark contrast to the dark curls of Isabella's hair as she pressed against him. They were locked in a passionate kiss, oblivious to the small group of hikers who had paused to take in the view—and now, the unexpected show.

"I love you, Nate!" Isabella's voice carried across the summit, clear and triumphant as she pulled back from the kiss. "I've never felt this way about anyone before."

Nathan's response was too quiet for me to hear, but the adoration in his eyes was unmistakable. The same look he'd given me countless times over the years.

My phone slipped from my suddenly numb fingers, clattering against the rocks. The sound cut through their moment, and Nathan's head snapped up, his eyes meeting mine across the distance.

Recognition. Shock. And then—nothing. No guilt, no remorse, just a blank stare before he deliberately turned back to Isabella.

I stumbled backward, nearly tripping over a rock as I fled from the summit. Tears blinded me as I half-ran, half-slid down the trail, branches scratching my arms as I veered off the path in my desperation to escape.

Somehow I made it back to my car, hands shaking so badly I could barely get the key in the ignition. I fumbled for my phone, needing someone, anyone who would understand. My cousin Lily had always been my confidante when it came to Nathan.

"Summit Ridge," I texted through tears. "N & I. Kissing. In front of everyone. Said she loves him. He didn't even care that I saw."

I drove home in a daze, slipping back into the house and up to my room without speaking to anyone. My mother knocked once, calling that dinner would be ready soon, but I couldn't face them. Couldn't bear to see the pity in their eyes when they learned that perfect Nathan Sterling had so thoroughly, so publicly, moved on.

I curled into a ball on my bed, staring at the wall of photos that now felt like artifacts from someone else's life. Tomorrow, I decided, I would take them all down. But tonight—tonight I would allow myself to break completely, before I could even think about how to put myself back together.