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When the sun had finally set, I forced myself to get up, to take every painstaking step toward my car.

I wanted to be alone. Needed it.

But I also needed to get a few things before I could make that happen. So, I had no choice but to face the music and head home to my parents’ house. When I walked in, they were shocked to see me.

At first, they wore excited smiles, but seconds after, when they took in my expression and noted I was alone, the happiness was gone.

The same had been true for Jules, who walked into the room no more than a minute after I had.

“Liam? What’s... what’s wrong?” my mom asked.

“What happened with Layla?” my dad pressed.

My mind went right back to that moment when I was down on one knee in front of her, telling her I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her, and listening to her say those two words in response—I can’t.

I shook my head as I clenched my jaw in an effort not to break down. “She… she rejected my proposal.”

Jules gasped. “What?!”

My mom’s hand flew up to cover her mouth as tears filled her vision. “I don’t understand. What do you mean?”

Shrugging, I muttered, “That makes two of us. I don’t have any answers. She said she couldn’t, and then she took off running.”

With both my mom and Jules in tears, my dad stepped in. “Did you go after her? Have you reached out to her?”

“No. No, I waited there for a long time. She never came back.”

“Maybe she was just surprised by it,” my mom reasoned. “Maybe she just needs some time to come to terms with it.”

Latching on to that shred of hope, Jules added, “Ofcourse, that’s what it is. This is such a big decision, and you two are so young. I’m sure she’s just scared.”

I looked at my sister, felt those words seep in, and countered, “Scared? Of being with me?”

She moved toward me and placed her hand gently on my shoulder. “No. No, Liam, that’s not it. But this is a lifelong commitment. I think Mom’s right. Maybe Layla just needs some time.”

While it was entirely possible that they could be right, I didn’t think that was the case. If it had been, if Layla was just nervous about this, she could have said so. She would have told me she needed some time. Instead, she gave me nothing and ran off.

Unwilling to argue with them and lead them to feeling the same level of devastation that I did, I acquiesced, “Maybe you’re right. Um, I… I think I need some time alone. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to spend the next night or two at the hotel.”

Without hesitating, my mom nodded. “Of course, you can. Are you sure that’s what you want, though? Wouldn’t you rather be with your family?”

“Not now. I appreciate that, but I’m just going to pack up a few things and head out.”

“I’ll pack up a couple of meals for you, too.”

“You don’t have to do that,” I insisted.

She waved her hand in the air dismissively. “I want to.”

I offered her an appreciative nod in return before shifting my attention to my dad and, finally, my sister.So much for not wanting them to feel any of the heartbreak. It was written all over their faces.

Nobody spoke again as I turned and walked off toward the stairs. I climbed them, strode to my bedroom, and went through the motions of packing a bag. Somewhere in the middle of it, there was a soft knock at my door before I heard my sister’s voice. “Liam? May I come in?”

Jules was only sixteen years old. Even if I wasn’t up for talking about this to anyone, I didn’t have the heart to be cruel and dismiss her. “Sure.”

She stepped into the room, noted the bag I had on the bed, and watched as I moved back and forth between it and the closet. Cautiously, she walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed. “It seems stupid to ask if you’re okay, because it’s clear to me that you aren’t.”

I wasn’t.