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My eyes left them to watch my brother holding Sierra in his arms as they stood by the balcony, facing the stage.

Sierra looked adorable as she spoke a million miles an hour while Matty watched her like she was the sun to his sunflower.

It was the happiest surprise; my brother falling in love.

I thought I’d never see the day that my stoic grump of a twin would find himself a girl, let alone fall in love the way he did, loving Sierra like she was the reason for his life.

Beside them were Evy and Emmie, and instead of having their attention tuned to the stage, they were having their own personal conversation, lost to the outside world. Nothing new there.

I was happy they all found their happily ever afters. In a way, I couldn’t help but think I had this before any of them.

When they were all alone, I wasn’t.

I had the love of my life right where I wanted him to be, yet I let him slip away.

All the carefully laid plans I devised to keep him with me, to make him love me, to make him see me didn’t matter anyway.

And it was no one’s fault but mine.

Mine, all mine.

CHAPTER 13

KATY

My internal musings stilled when I felt a presence ease down beside me.

There were plenty of empty seats.

Yet he chose the one right next to mine.

In these past months, he’s been avoiding me like I was the bothersome broken piece of glass on his favorite carpet.

“It’s so good to see you eat again,” he muttered nonchalantly. Like it wasn’t the first cordial conversation he was making with me since the day he broke up with me.

I carried on dunking my chicken tender in my beautiful concoction of ketchup, mayo, and chili sauce. The best combo ever known to exist.Don’t knock it till you try it.

“You even put on weight,” he added.

Not at all what a girl wanted to hear.

Ever.

Well, you didn’t like me pretty and thin anyway,my mind voice replied to him.

“It looks good on you; you should eat more. You’ve always loved to eat,” Lan said, his voice like kerosene to my flaming blood.

“I don’t need your opinion to eat,” I bit out, and through my side-eye, I watched a faint smile lift his pouty lips. In thebeginning months of our breakup, I tried hard to push the narrative of still maintaining my lean, bony body. But then I watched people eat normally, and I started to crave actual food other than salads and started to actually eat real food. Although I craved peculiar foods more recently, developing distinct tastes, while other times, I gobbled everything I could find. I had zero self-control.

“You’re mad,” he said, tongue in cheek. “Good.”

I had no idea what that was supposed to mean, but I didn’t say a word.

Yes, I was fucking mad.

Fury was searing my blood like the licks of burning lava.

“You fucking left me,” I steeled sharply.