Chapter 4

A week passed in a blur of numbness and forced smiles. Each day, I woke up reaching for Ryan's warmth before reality crashed down on me again. Each night, I fell asleep clutching my phone, waiting for a call that never came. The cut on my palm had mostly healed, but I found myself tracing the thin pink line often, remembering the gentleness of Nathan's touch and the fury in Ryan's eyes.

Now I stood in a chic SoHo lounge, surrounded by Charlotte's friends at her bachelorette soirée. The space was all sleek lines and moody lighting, with plush velvet…