Chapter 1

My girlfriend, Emma Marshall, had hearing loss and was always claiming she misheard me.

I asked her to pick up a gaming setup. She came home with two.

"I must've heard you wrong again. Kevin can take the extra one."

I asked her to order tacos. She got sushi instead.

"Sorry, I heard you wrong. Kevin loves sushi, though. We should invite him over."

Then I spent months planning every detail of the home we were supposed to build together and asked her to buy a place in Blackmere.

On the day we were supposed to go see it, she drove straight to Carlifield instead. She didn't seem to notice anything was wrong until she realized I hadn't said a word the entire drive.

"I'm sorry. I really thought you said you liked the scenery in Carlifield, so when I found this place, I bought it without thinking twice."

But Kevin Stone, her childhood best friend, worked only a few minutes away.

She hadn't misheard me. She just never cared enough to listen.

Something inside me went completely still.

For once, I didn't argue. I didn't ask for an explanation. I didn't even feel angry.

I just looked at her and said calmly, "Emma, I think we should break up."

Chapter 1

Scott's POV

Emma Marshall looked at me in confusion and instinctively touched the hearing aid behind her ear.

"What did you say? I didn't catch that."

She rarely made much effort to listen because she knew I would always repeat myself until she understood.

But this time, I didn't feel like saying it again.

"Nothing." I kept my voice even. "Cancel the deal. I told you I wanted a house in Blackmere, so that's where we should be buying one."

Her expression immediately soured.

"You can't just back out of buying a house because you changed your mind.

"You designed the whole place, and I spent weeks overseeing the renovations. Now you're suddenly saying you don't want it anymore?

"Can you stop being so unreasonable?"

The tension between us was thick when the lock suddenly beeped and the front door opened.

Kevin Stone walked in using his fingerprint like he lived there.

The three of us froze and stared at one another.

The moment he realized we were arguing, Kevin stepped in without hesitation, acting more like Emma's boyfriend than I was.

"Scott, cut her some slack. She has hearing loss. It's not like she did it on purpose. Just stay for dinner. I'll cook, and we can celebrate the new place a little early."

He started washing and chopping vegetables, then moved around the kitchen like he had done it a hundred times before.

He looked completely at home.

Emma watched him with a softness in her eyes that was impossible to miss. Then, like always, she went over to help.

The two of them worked side by side without even needing to talk, moving around each other with the easy familiarity of a couple who had been doing this for years.

They seemed to have forgotten one small detail: this was supposed to be our future home.

I turned to leave, but Emma rushed over and grabbed my arm.

"Kevin's going out of his way to cook us a housewarming dinner, and you're still acting like this? Can you at least try to be grateful?"

Was this really supposed to be a housewarming dinner for me?

The second I walked in, I could tell the place looked nothing like the home I designed.

The guest room, which was only supposed to be for friends and family visiting from out of town, was now twice the size of the primary bedroom.

They even took space from the gaming room I had spent so much time planning, shrinking it down until it was barely bigger than a closet. Even the walls were covered in the glossy tile I rejected from the beginning.

Every change had clearly been made with Kevin in mind.

"You two eat without me," I said flatly.

I had just reached for the door when Kevin stepped in front of me. His expression immediately turned hurt.

"I don't know what your problem is, Scott, but if you're pissed off, take it out on me. Emma has hearing loss. She doesn't need you raising your voice at her."

My hands curled into fists as a sharp ache twisted through my chest.

I had seen Kevin lose his temper with Emma more times than I could count.

Once, he even smacked the hearing aid she treasured most right out of her ear. But she immediately picked it up and begged him to repeat every cruel thing he just said.

She was afraid she might have missed even a single word.

Yet whenever Emma and I argued, she would simply take out her hearing aids. Then she would leave me talking to myself until I looked like some unhinged idiot throwing a fit for no reason.

But I was done making a fool of myself.

From now on, I wouldn't argue with her again.

Chapter 2

"If he doesn't want to eat, then let him go."

Emma was starting to lose patience.

She glanced at the lightning outside and scoffed, but her next words hit me harder than I expected.

"Just don't come running back to me when the thunder starts."

When I was a kid, my stepfather Joel Sutton used to abuse me. Sometimes, he would throw me outside in the middle of a storm and leave me there until I passed out.

I had been terrified of thunderstorms ever since, and Emma always stayed with me whenever one rolled in. She knew better than anyone how badly they affected me.

And yet, just because she was angry, she was still willing to use that fear against me and send me out into the storm.

"Ow!"

Kevin's yelp snapped me out of my thoughts.

Emma immediately rushed over to wipe up the hot water he spilled, her voice softening at once. "You burned yourself? Let me finish. Just sit down."

Watching them together, I suddenly remembered how Emma and I used to be.

I turned, walked out the door, and headed straight into the rain. It didn't take long to flag down a cab.

That night, my fever shot up to nearly 104 degrees.

By then, Kevin had already posted a photo of the elaborate dinner on social media.

[Got my own room in the new place, bigger than the primary bedroom, too. And she actually cooked tonight. I could get used to this.]

But I still remembered Emma once swearing she would never cook because she couldn't stand the smell of food lingering on her clothes.

Kevin had gotten her to break that rule, too.

When I finally snapped out of my thoughts, I scrolled to a number buried at the bottom of my contacts.

[You once told me I'd always have a place with you. Is that still true?]

The answer came almost immediately, firm and enthusiastic.

I took some medicine for my fever and eventually drifted into an uneasy sleep.

The next morning, my phone rang and startled me awake.

"Scott, where are your manners? You said you'd be here for lunch, and now you've got the whole family sitting around waiting for you."

My head felt like it was splitting from the fever. "I'm sick…"

"Stop making excuses and get over here. Don't keep everyone waiting."

I forced myself out of bed and made my way to Emma's parents' house, only to find Kevin sitting right beside her.

Everyone at the table reacted differently, but Emma's mother, Heather Marshall, made no effort to hide her contempt. No matter how many times I told her I wasn't marrying Emma for money, she still treated me like I was trying to live off their family.

"You sleep until noon and still expect us to believe you're not looking for a free ride? Who's going to buy that?"

No one seemed to notice the sweat running down my face or the way my legs shook every time I moved.

Emma didn't defend me the way she used to.

The criticism kept coming from every side until I could barely breathe. Finally, I put down my fork.

"Mrs. Marshall, I'm not going through with the wedding."

Heather's expression stiffened, and Emma immediately tried to smooth things over.

"Mom, he's kidding. The wedding's already set for the day after tomorrow."

Then she pulled me aside.

"You're taking this way too far. You know how much my mom wants grandkids. Did you really have to say something like that to her?"

I was the one being insulted, but somehow I was still the one getting blamed.

Emma kept laying into me without noticing how sick I was.

I was about to lose my temper when Kevin glanced at my wrist, putting on that innocent look of his. "That cross bracelet's pretty cool, Scott. Can I have it?"

My hand curled into a fist, and my throat tightened.

Emma had given it to me after spending days at a church retreat, praying over it and asking God to keep me safe.

After Joel beat my mother to death, she fastened the bracelet around my wrist herself and promised me that no matter what happened, God would watch over me.

I looked at her. "What do you think?"

She didn't say anything, but the hesitation in her eyes told me everything. Apparently, there was someone else she wanted God to protect now.

"Fine."

My answer came so quickly that Emma stared at me in shock.

But I had already slipped off the cross bracelet and placed it in Kevin's hand.

I was letting go of seven years with Emma. A bracelet didn't mean much after that.

After I left her parents' house, the official job offer came through.

I booked a flight out of the city that same day.

Chapter 3

After I got back to our old place, I started packing.

When Emma came home and saw the suitcase, she assumed I was getting ready for our honeymoon.

"Already? Someone's excited."

She glanced at the clothes I was packing and frowned.

"Why are you bringing summer clothes when we're going to Northreach? You're going to freeze."

I went still.

We agreed years ago that we would spend our honeymoon in Sorelia. It was where we first met.

Back then, she kissed my cheek and said, "No matter how many times we come back here, at least the person beside me will always be the same."

That was why I asked her to book the tickets three days ago.

Before I could stop myself, I asked, "Aren't we going to Sorelia?"

Emma frowned and pulled two plane tickets from her bag. They were for Northreach.

Then, a third ticket slipped out and landed on the floor. Same date. Same destination.

Emma froze for a second before forcing out an explanation.

"I must've heard you wrong. I thought you said Northreach. I guess I clicked the wrong thing when I booked everything and accidentally bought an extra ticket."

Kevin's name was printed right across it.

I remembered the post he made three days earlier, full of videos of the northern lights over Northreach.

[It would be nice if someone took me to see the northern lights. Guess I'll just put that wish out into the universe.]

Now, I knew exactly who decided to make it come true.

Emma might not always hear my words, but the truth was, she had stopped listening to me a long time ago.

I tilted my head back and blinked away the tears. "Cancel my ticket."

That was the last of Emma's patience.

"Why does it matter where we go? And what's wrong with Kevin coming? Having another person there just means there's someone else to help out. Why does everything have to turn into an argument with you? Lately, you take everything so personally."

I looked straight at Emma. I couldn't believe she was the one saying that.

After I finally got away from Joel's abuse, there was a period when I barely knew how to hold myself together.

Whenever I lost my temper or broke down, Emma never made me feel ashamed of it.

She would wipe my tears away. She would even put on that terrible version of my hometown accent and tell dumb jokes until I finally laughed.

Not once had she ever told me I was being too sensitive.

I took a breath. "I'm not trying to argue. I'm just saying I'm…"

Emma's special ringtone cut me off. Kevin was calling.

She covered the phone and disappeared into the study. The door shut behind her, leaving the words "leaving for good" stuck in my throat.

Late that night, I heard her sighing through the study door.

"He's already this difficult now. I don't even want to think about what it'll be like after we're married. I stayed by his side through all of that until he got better. I never complained, but sometimes, I wonder if he even realizes how much it took out of me."

I heard every word. Each one hurt more than the last.

I couldn't hear what Kevin said on the other end, but Emma's tone changed immediately.

"You're not feeling well? Alright. Wait for me. Once he's asleep, I'll come over to the new house."

Standing on the other side of the study door, I let out a quiet, bitter laugh.

She didn't need to sneak around anymore. I wasn't going to get in her way.

I leaned against the door for a moment, listening to the tenderness in her voice as she spoke to Kevin.

Emma had always hated voice messages, but she played his over and over.

Eventually, I had heard enough.

I went back to the bedroom and, for the first time in a long while, slept straight through the night.

I didn't even hear Emma leave.

Early the next morning, a burst of laughter and cheering from downstairs woke me up.

Chapter 4

The living room was packed with friends and relatives, all drinking and talking.

When Emma saw me come downstairs in wrinkled pajamas, she frowned.

"Did you forget the wedding rehearsal is today? My parents have been here forever, and you're seriously coming down looking like that?"

Everyone turned to stare at me. Some looked judgmental, while others barely bothered to hide their amusement.

Their expressions said it all.

What kind of groom showed up to his own wedding rehearsal dressed like this?

Emma's face tightened with embarrassment. "Go upstairs and change. At least make yourself look presentable. My whole family is here, and you're the groom."

Meanwhile, Kevin stood there in a crisp white suit, looking more like the groom than I did.

I ignored Emma's tone and was just about to use the opportunity to call off the engagement in front of everyone.

But Kevin quickly came over and pulled me toward someone. "It's a big day, so I thought I'd invite your dad to celebrate with us. You don't mind, do you, Scott?"

The second I looked up, my heart nearly stopped.

Standing in front of me was Joel, the man who had beaten my mother to death right in front of me. His voice sent a chill straight through me.

"What, son? You really thought you could get married without inviting your own father? I had to congratulate you myself."

Fear and hatred hit me all at once.

Kevin leaned closer, barely able to hide his excitement.

"I heard he beat your mom to death, and they never even found her body. And now here you are, about to marry the woman you love. Figured a day like this wouldn't be complete without family, right?"

I stared at the man who had haunted my nightmares for years, my vision burning with rage. "How do you know about that?"

My voice shook with fury, and I must have looked ready to snap.

Kevin glanced at Emma, who still had no idea what was happening.

"She told me about it once after we had a fight, and I got pretty worked up. Guess she thought hearing what you'd been through would make my problems seem smaller. Hey, Scott, don't look at me like that…"

I punched him square in the face.

The next second, Emma shoved me back with all her strength.

"Scott, what the hell is wrong with you? Kevin invited your dad because he thought you'd want him here, and this is how you thank him? Apologize now!"

Emma stepped between us. Kevin stood behind her with a smug look on his face, like he knew he had already won.

The whole thing was so ridiculous that I suddenly started laughing.

I trusted Emma with the ugliest, most painful parts of my past. She turned them into a story to make her childhood friend feel better about his own problems.

Under her stunned gaze, I said each word slowly and clearly.

"Not a chance. Emma, we're done."

Her expression darkened instantly, disbelief flashing across her face.

I ignored her. I went upstairs, grabbed my suitcase, and slipped out the back door.

There was nothing left to say.

Third-person POV

An hour before the wedding, Emma pounded impatiently on the dressing room door backstage.

"That's enough, Scott! We're not at home, and this isn't the time to make a scene. Everyone's waiting on us."

A second later, the door flew open.

But the groom who stormed out was a complete stranger.

"What the hell are you banging on my door for? You've got the wrong room."

Emma stood there speechless as the venue manager hurried over, nearly out of breath.

"Ms. Marshall, I'm so sorry. I completely forgot to tell you. Mr. Gray canceled the reservation yesterday."