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“Yeah, we spoke at the ball.”

“And...”

“He told me that his parents stopped him from finding out about me. He only learned I existed after his dad died and he found your letter.”

We both fell silent again. No matter how many times I recalled what my father had told me at the ball, it always seemed to take a few moments to digest.

“How do you feel?” Mom finally broke the silence. “I know it’s a lot to take in.”

“Well, I believe him, if that’s what you mean,” I replied. “I feel like he really does want to get to know me.”

“He does.” My mom’s voice cracked as she spoke, and she took a couple of deep breaths.

“Mom, are you okay?”

“Yes, yes.” She sniffed, clearly holding back tears. “I just… I just feel so bad that you’re going through all this on your own. Everything with your father and now Noah. I should be there to help you through it.”

“It’s okay, Mom,” I reassured her. “I’m okay. You’ve got to look after the café. My replacement isn’t going to train herself.”

I heard her splutter out a laugh on the other end of the line. “I guess that’s true,” she said, though her voice was still rough with emotion. It had been sounding a little scratchy the whole conversation, so I wondered if she was coming down with a cold.

“I just want you to know how proud I am of you,” she continued. “I know there’s a lot going on, but you’re going to come through all of this stronger than ever.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“And I’ll do my best to come and visit you as soon as I can.”

“Okay.” I smiled. “I’ll hold you to that.”

Silence fell over the phone call once again. Neither of us wanted to hang up, but I wasn’t sure what else there was to say. I needed to get running, and my mom needed to get to work

“I’ll let you get back to it, Mom.” I finally said. “Plus, it’s cold out here, so I better start running.

“Okay,” she agreed. “But call me anytime. I love you, Iz.”

“I love you too, Mom.”

I hung up the phone and took a moment to gather myself. Hearing my mom’s voice made me feel better, but the moment the phone call ended, I felt the gaping void of her absence. She’d been the one to get me through my last breakup, and I knew it was going to be a battle trying to get over Noah without her hugs, optimism, and pecan pie to keep me going.

I had no choice in the matter though. Mom was back in Rapid Bay and I was here at Weybridge. I was just going to have to muddle through this breakup on my own—as hard as that might be.

As I set out on my jog, I considered heading into the forest that surrounded the school. The idea of disappearing among the trees was quite appealing to me right now. But as I neared the worn dirt path that led into the trees, I decided not to take it. The woods reminded me too much of Noah. We’d had our first proper conversation there—yes, I’d wanted to kill him at the time, but looking back, I knew I’d misjudged him then.

It almost brought a smile to my face, thinking of how he’d gotten so thoroughly under my skin, but I started to scowl instead. Noah being under my skin was the whole problem. He was like a splinter I couldn’t get rid of, wedged so firm and deep within me that I suffered from an almost constant ache.

I turned from the forest, determined to leave thoughts of Noah back in the woods where we met. Instead of following the trail through the trees, I chose to follow the path that bordered the lake. The water was completely still this morning and mirrored the dark clouds gathering above. The rumble of thunder thrummed across the horizon, and its soft growl whispered a promise of rain. I probably should have turned back, but I didn’t care whether I got wet or not. Not when the alternative was sitting back in my room with my thoughts.

My runs were normally calming and therapeutic, but today I couldn’t seem to find any rhythm. Every breath I took was painful, and my body felt far heavier than normal. I kept waiting to feel the peaceful bliss I usually experienced once my legs found a steady beat, but my mind refused to focus on the repetitive thud of my feet against the ground. All I could think about was how much everything hurt. Both my body and my heart were in agony. I pushed myself to run harder, hoping the physical strain might distract me from the pain I felt inside. It was no use though, and even once I was practically sprinting, it only seemed to be making everything worse.

I finally gave up, slowed my steps, and stared out at the lake. A cold breeze had started to pick up as the clouds above grew even more ominous, creating ripples that shattered the usually glassy surface of the water. My breath was ragged, and I put my hands on my knees, bowing my head as I tried to keep myself from heaving. I scrunched my eyes shut as I waited for my breaths to stop coming so quickly. No matter how fast I ran, I was never going to lessen the pain I felt inside.

I stood there for several minutes as my breathing slowly came under control. I was sweating like crazy, and my head was throbbing from exhaustion. This morning’s run had to be one of the worst ideas I’d ever come up with.

When I finally caught my breath, I turned and slowly started jogging back the way I’d come. The chill in the air gave me goose bumps, and the increasing wind whipped across the lake. Just when I thought I might be finally finding a steady rhythm, my focus was broken by the sound of pounding footsteps coming up behind me.

I didn’t look over my shoulder. Whoever was running behind me was moving fast, and I knew they would overtake me in a matter of moments. When they didn’t come tearing past me and fell into step at my side instead, I glanced across the path to see who it was.

My racing heart tripped as I found Noah running alongside me. Of course, it was him. I couldn’t escape him even when I tried. I’d followed this route to make certain I wouldn’t see him, but fate had other ideas.