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“Okay,” I say, sitting on the foot of his bed. “You first.”

I smile, but get no reaction from him. My palms sweat, and my hands start to shake.

“Fine,” he bites out. Crossing his arms and spreading his stance so he seems much more imposing, he says, “We should end this right here.”

I blink at him once. Twice.

Spin the words around in my brain.

Try to make sense of them.

“I’m…what did you say?”

He takes in a slow breath before saying in an even harder tone. “Our relationship is over. This has run its course.”

I’m silent, staring at him with my mouth open because I don’t know what to think or feel or….

“You’re going to move soon, and I thought about it. I don’t see myself wanting to leave Chicago. Too much going on. And I don’t do long-distance relationships. I don’t see the point.”

I blink once, then several times in a row, as if I’m having some type of neurological issue.

“I don’t… I’m not going to Harvard,” I blurt out, and he stares even longer, his muscles tightening.

“Well, that’s a stupid decision. I hope you didn’t give up your spot already.”

This time, I do flinch.

“That’s it?” I spit, standing. I gesture toward the rumpled sheets. “So what was that? One last pity fuck?”

I vibrate from head to toe, sweating, and I know I’m seconds from bursting into sobs that might kill me.

But then…Storm shrugs, an easy, unbothered look on his face.

What?

The world spirals, hot flames licking up my ankles and thighs and chest until I’m being burned alive.

What? What? What is happening?

I try to breathe, I try to calm my racing heart, but there’s no help for the full-blown panic I’m in.

“Storm, y-you’re hurting right now, but you don’t have to do this. Please don’t do this!”

I rush forward, grabbing his arm and trying to get him to—I don’t know. Hold me? Bring me close?

Say this was a big fucking joke and he’s sorry to get me all riled up?

But instead, he makes the move that kills me instead.

He jerks away.

“Don’t beg, Shae. Never beg someone to be with you.”

I break. My whole entire heart shatters into pieces, because despite his vows and promises and proclamations, he turned out to be exactly who I thought he was.

Who I feared he was.

I bring my hands to my chest, clasping them together as if holding myself will prevent me from falling into a million shards all over his floor.