Page 118 of Igniting Sparks

Everyone is, but it does little to soothe the pain.

So I plaster on a smile and spend every free second by Mina’s side. I help her pack, joking that I’m tired of this monthly moving schedule, and forward her boxes to her new address.

We’ve gone out to eat every night, and I even tagged along with Mina and Ori on a shopping trip for the baby.

I’m not letting her out of my sight. Not until the moment I have to let her go—for good.

Despite the state of my heart—a wretched minefield at the moment—I’m proud of Mina. She’s the ultimate comeback kid, finding new life after an injury threatened to sideline her permanently.

I’m grateful to Leo for giving Mina this chance. Ironic how he offered her one when her family turned away, but that’s the thing about friends. They’re the family we choose.

Mina insists we’ll see each other constantly, but we both know she’s lying. Soon, there will be thousands of miles between us, so impromptu visits are out of the question. Any trip will require intensive planning because of our schedules, likely limited to once or twice per year.

We’ll talk a lot in the beginning, through phone calls and texts, but those will drop off, too. Time zones and the chaos of life will ensure it.

Eventually, we’ll both move on and find new life along our paths. New people. New loves. New memories to replace the old.

The saddest part? Mina has no reason to come back to Sparkwood. Not even for a visit. Any time off she gets will go to her mom—because the rest of her family? That bridge is already burned.

But it also means there won’t be any reason for her to drop into our little town. I won’t glance up one day and see her walking down Main Street, a sunny smile on her lips.

The only reminder I’ll have of her will be the studio built in her honor—a place she’ll never know about now.

Zane asked me if I regretted it, and I said the only answer I know is true.

“Not a single second.”

“Hard to believe this time tomorrow you’ll be a West Coaster.” Ori blinks back tears and pulls her friend into yet another hug.

There have been about a hundred of them at dinner tonight—but that’s to be expected.

We gathered at Mina’s favorite restaurant to give her one hell of a sendoff, complete with food, drinks, and the obligatory toasts and teasing.

I know her departure is hard on Ori. Mina’s the little sister she never had, and Ori adores her. Trust me, the feeling is mutual.

“I can’t believe it either,” Mina replies, placing her hands on Ori’s expanding belly. “You better keep me updated on all the baby news.”

“Of course. And you’ll call if you need anything.”

“Leo said the place is furnished, so that helps.”

Her former partner has done everything possible to make this move as painless as possible, and there’s a niggling voice in my head that whispers they’ll find their way back to each other again.

Let’s be honest—they’d be one hell of a power couple in the dance world.

Maybe they make more sense than Mina and I ever did.

Doesn’t mean I won’t miss the hell out of her, though.

She opened my eyes to new possibilities. I had written her off as a romantic partner because of our age difference, but she was dogged in her determination that I reconsider.

And I’m glad I did.

Mina steps back, gesturing to the group. “You guys better come visit me. No excuses.”

Ash grins, wrapping an arm around Ori. “We have theconvention in Vegas in December. You’ll have to meet us out there for a little fun in Sin City.”

The smile slides from Mina’s face. “But that’s six months away.”