Chapter 2: Slaps, Lies, and Goodbyes

After I moved into my new apartment, Savannah came over to help me unpack.

She brought coffee and donuts, her arms full of boxes and hugs. The second she saw me, she dropped everything and pulled me into her arms.

The moment I saw her, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I hugged her and broke down sobbing.

The tears came fast, hot and messy. Savannah just held me, rocking back and forth, whispering, "It’s okay, I’ve got you."

“I’m sorry… she wore the ring you made me…”

I could barely get the words out. My chest hurt from crying, my hands clutching her shirt like a lifeline.

She swore under her breath and patted my back, comforting me.

She muttered something about "that snake," then squeezed me tighter. "Forget her. You’re better off."

“It’s okay, babe. It’s just a ring. I’ll make you another one.”

She brushed my hair out of my face, her voice gentle but fierce. "No one gets to take your sparkle, okay? Not even her."

It took a long time before I stopped crying.

We sat on the floor, surrounded by boxes and bubble wrap, the city humming outside the window. Eventually, my sobs faded to sniffles.

The bedroom was a mess. I wiped my tears and started tidying up.

I stacked books, folded sweaters, trying to make the new place feel like home. Savannah kept up a steady stream of chatter, telling me stories to distract me.

The safe was a disaster too, all the jewelry tangled together. I spotted the engagement gift Carter had given me—broken.

I stared at the tangled mess, my fingers tracing the cracked stone. It felt like looking at the ruins of another life.

It was a beautiful, blush-pink agate bracelet, crystal clear and bright, now snapped in two.

I remembered the day he gave it to me, how he’d slipped it onto my wrist with a rare, genuine smile. Now it was just another broken thing.

Just like us.

The thought hit me hard. I sat down on the edge of the bed, letting the sadness wash over me.