Chapter 1

The prom after-party had descended into chaos by the time the spinning bottle stopped, pointing straight at Natalie.

"Of course I have a boyfriend."

Her gaze slid toward Byron, the boy I had loved for ten years.

The room fell silent. Then everyone erupted.

I looked toward the corner, where Byron sat.

He had told me countless times, "Celeste, on prom night, I'll tell everyone that when I become Godfather, you're going to be my wife."

But now he was slouched on that leather sofa, not even looking at me.

Someone whistled. "Prove it."

Natalie smiled. She stood and walked straight to Byron.

She cupped his face, bent down, and kissed him in front of everyone.

He didn't push her away. He reached up and deepened the kiss without so much as glancing at me.

I dropped my gaze.

My ten years were over.

...

Whistles. Screams. Applause. The noise hit me like a wall.

"Oh my God! I knew it!"

"When did this happen?"

Natalie straightened, a pretty flush on her cheeks. "The day Byron became Godfather," she said. "That was when he finally stopped hiding us."

Every eye in the room fixed on the new couple.

No one saw me in the corner. No one noticed the breath leaving my lungs.

I watched Byron lift a hand and casually wipe his mouth.

"Come on, tell us. Who made the first move? We want details!"

The crowd pressed in around them.

Natalie gave Byron a coy little look. "It wasn't anything dramatic. The day he became Godfather, I texted him to congratulate him..."

She laid it all out: asking him to meet her by the lake, taking his hand, the way he hadn't pulled away, how naturally it had all happened.

Every detail drew louder teasing.

Every detail sent another glance in my direction.

"Wait, wasn't there something between Byron and Celeste? They grew up together! Wasn't Celeste supposed to be Byron's future wife?"

"Who told you that? Byron never even looked at her that way. He probably just treated her like a sidekick."

"Celeste? The tomboy nobody even sees as a girl? Why would Byron want her?"

"Exactly. Who would want her? Byron is the Godfather. He has standards."

"You guys know about her seafood allergy, right? That ER thing? Byron made her pasta with shrimp paste and didn't even remember she was allergic. Sent her straight to the hospital."

"Natalie wanted that full-ride scholarship back then. Celeste was her only real competition. You figure it out."

"That's brutal. Natalie really went all in."

Natalie wore a look of perfect innocence, without a shred of remorse. Victory shone in her eyes.

"Celeste, I'm truly sorry. I did mention the scholarship to Byron. He must have been so focused on helping me that your allergy slipped his mind. Please don't blame him. If you have to blame someone, blame me."

Everyone could see how little Byron cared.

Everyone except me.

Or maybe I had known all along.

Byron had started keeping his distance when I was fifteen.

Sometimes I would see him on the street, and he would duck his head and walk past me like I was a stranger.

Once, I caught up to him and asked what was wrong.

"I'm afraid you'll be targeted by rival families. I'm afraid you'll be in danger," he said.

Back then, it had made me dizzy with hope. I thought it meant he loved me too.

Then I saw him with Natalie, tucking a strand of windblown hair behind her ear, smiling like he had stepped into sunlight.