Chapter 8
The moment I opened the car door, Zachary’s voice cut through the air-calm, cold, and final.
“Lily, you know what kind of person I am. If you walk away now, this is really the end of us.”
Before he could finish, I slammed the door shut without looking back.
A month passed in a blur.
I split my time between unpacking at the new condo and squeezing in job interviews wherever I could. It wasn’t easy, but luck -or maybe life itself-finally decided to throw me a bone.
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After all the chaos and exhaustion, I landed the home I’d dreamed of, and a job I actually enjoyed-with better pay than before
As for Zachary, I heard about him from time to time. A mutual friend or two would bring him up, casually or perhaps deliberately.
They said he’d been buried in work. So much so, he’d stopped showing up at any social events. So busy he hadn’t even bothere to delete the pinned post on his profile-“Zachary Montgomery and Lily Quinn Are Getting Married.”
I never commented.
My time and energy were limited and far too precious to waste on someone who no longer had a place in my life.
On the first Friday of the month, right in the middle of rush hour, I managed to squeeze into a cab and barely made it in time for a friend’s baby’s first birthday party.
The grand ballroom of the hotel was warm and elegantly lit.
I handed over a small silver locket with her birthdate tucked inside-a wish for her to carry joy and peace wherever life takes her.
During dinner, a few friends from our college group wandered over from the next table, clinking glasses and catching up with me. One by one, they drifted off-until Gavin Carter showed up.
He had been two years behind me in college, a law major.
We’d met through the debate club-I was president, he was my quick-witted vice president.
As he left, he handed me two tablets of hangover relief.
I watched him return to his table, only to have my friend nudge me sharply in the side.
“No joke, Lily-I wasn’t gonna invite Gavin at all. We’re not even in touch like that. But he found my number and asked if you’ be here. Like, specifically asked about you.”
The party wasn’t quite over, but I said my goodbyes and got ready to leave.
Coincidentally, Gavin was heading out at the same time.
In the elevator, he glanced over and said, “Hey, want me to give you a ride home?”
I narrowed my eyes at him, suspicious. “What’s with the sudden chivalry? Don’t tell me after all these years, you’re still planning to stage a coup and steal my debate club presidency.”
He let out a short laugh and was just about to reply when the elevator doors slid open at the basement level.
Chapter 8
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And standing there was someone I never expected to see.
“Zachary?” My voice caught. “What are you doing-”
I didn’t get the chance to finish.
His expression was thunderous as he stepped inside, grabbed my wrist, and hauled me out of the elevator before I could resist.
Ignoring my protests, Zachary clenched his jaw and stared down at me like I’d just committed a personal betrayal.
“You win, Lily. Fine. Whatever you want-name it. I’ll agree to anything. Just stop this cold war and come back to me.”
Cold war?
I stared at him like he’d lost his mind.
“Zachary, are you out of your mind? How many times do I have to tell you it’s over before you finally get the message?”
But even after I said it, loud and clear, he just stood there, eyes locked on mine.
And then, as if he hadn’t heard a word I said, he tightened his grip on my arm and tried to drag me toward the silver sedan parked a few feet away.
