Chapter 3

Natalie laughed. "Your favorite fallback girl. One call, and she comes running."

Byron's gaze skimmed over me. Then he lifted a hand and unclasped the silver chain around his neck.

Half an antique compass pendant hung from it.

I wore the other half.

I had loved that pendant the moment I saw it. Byron had no money then, so he saved every dollar he earned boxing until he could buy it for me.

"Our lucky charm," he said.

From then on, we each wore one half and never took them off, not even in the shower.

I had imagined we would wear them until our wedding day, when we would finally fit the two halves together.

Now he was handing his half to Natalie.

She held it up to the light, her smile bright and vicious. "So pretty. It's mine now. And so are you."

I wiped ice water from my eyes and stared at Byron.

He glanced at me, and the sneer on his face disappeared. "What? Do I need your permission to give away something that's mine? I bought it."

No explanation. No apology. Just a bucket of ice water, a room full of malice, and his indifference as he ground our vows under his heel.

He was no longer the boy who would fight the whole world for me.

"Let's go. I booked a room downtown. Karaoke next! Keep the party going!"

The crowd surged toward the door.

As Natalie passed me, she shoved me.

I pitched forward and fell, my knees slamming into the floor. Pain shot through both knees.

She looked back with a sweet, innocent smile. "Oops. Celeste, did you trip?"

Then she hooked her arm through Byron's and walked out with a sway of her hips.

He let her pull him along. As he passed me, he lowered his head for one brief glance.

It was so brief I couldn't tell what was in it. Then he looked away.

And left with her.

I knelt on the cold floor while blood from my knees mixed with the ice water dripping from my hair.

Drip. Drip. Barely audible. Somehow unbearable.

I could not go home.

If Dad saw me like this, his heart would break.

I didn't have much cash on me. I had spent almost all of it on the cufflinks Byron liked best, so the only place I could afford was a cheap motel.

I stood under the hot shower for a long time, waiting for my body to remember how to feel.

When I came out, my phone screen was lit. Every notification was from Byron.

[Your dad called. Asked when you're coming home.]

[I said you were with me. Go back early.]

[Where are you? Are you safe?]

Then came a FaceTime request. I hesitated, then answered.

His face filled the screen, still unfairly handsome. When he saw the room behind me, he frowned. "You're in a motel? Which one?"

"None of your business."

Silence. Then his voice hardened into a command. "Stay there. Don't move. I don't want to deal with your dad."

Back then, my father had believed Byron loved me too. Quietly, he had given Byron enough help to secure his position as Godfather.

Now my father was just someone he had to deal with.

"Byron."

I looked straight into his eyes through the screen and asked one last time, "The compass pendant. Are you really giving it to her?"

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

"You said it was ours. You said we would put the halves together on our wedding day."

Silence.

"You gave it to Natalie. So what am I?"

He swallowed. "It's just a cheap piece of metal."

I laughed.

"Right. Cheap. Worthless. Just like me."

"Celeste..."

He frowned, and I hung up.

Half an hour later, someone knocked on the door.

It was a delivery driver. Inside the bag were a tube of antibiotic ointment for scrapes and a warm box of mac and cheese.

I sat on the edge of the motel bed while my phone kept buzzing. In the class Instagram group chat, someone had posted a video.

Natalie and Byron were singing at the party.

Natalie leaned on his shoulder, drinking. Together, they sang a Taylor Swift love song.

The comments came pouring in.

"Oh my God, the way Byron looks at her. I'm dying."

"They are perfect together! Kiss already!"