Her voice cracked into sobs. "I just want him by my side for a few more days."

I listened quietly, but my gaze drifted past her to the man behind her.

His eyes were fixed on me without blinking. His muscles tensed like a storm was brewing.

The guy who once shadowed me like a protector was now her guard dog. He was ready to lunge and tear into me if I so much as threatened Hanna.

I couldn't pin down the feeling in my chest. I just knew, in this new life, I couldn't selfishly tie him down anymore.

I forced a smile. "Don't worry. I'm here to take you two back rather than break you up."

Hanna jolted, staring at me in disbelief. "Both of us?"

"Yeah." I nodded. "You are his girl now. If I left you behind, he wouldn't come anyway. Pack up. You and Ethan are coming home."

My voice stayed even as I added, "His parents know about you. They're fine with it."

Overjoyed, she grabbed Ethan's hand and beamed at him before rushing off to pack.

Only then did Ethan relax, sure I meant no harm. He pressed his lips together, softening a bit. "Sorry, I thought you were gonna hurt Hanna."

His mood swung with hers now.

No one remembered how, back when Hanna wouldn't leave him alone, he'd burrow into my arms and urge me to claim him.

"Tell them I'm yours and yours alone. Make it sound tough," he had said, making goofy faces for me to copy.

We'd always end up laughing, rolling around on the couch in a tangle.

Unfortunately, that man was no more.

I smiled bitterly, taking them to the Hayes Mansion.

When it came time to introduce me, everyone hesitated on what to say.

I jumped in. "I'm your childhood buddy. You always treated me like a little sister. You even said you'd set me up with someone. Now that you've got amnesia, it's on hold."

The room went awkward for those in the know, but Ethan bought it. He joked, "Alright, once things settle, I will hook you up with a good guy."

...

That night, the firelight woke me.

I pushed the door open and saw everything tied to Ethan and me burning in a pile.

Photos from our childhood, awards we won together, and even the wooden doll he gave me when he confessed crackled into ashes.

My heart ached, like something squeezed it.

Ethan turned to me. "Back then, we didn't have partners, so being close felt fine. But now Hanna is living with me, and seeing this stuff upsets her. So, I burned it. Hope you don't mind."

I dug my nails into my palm, hiding my distress. I muttered, "No big deal. Might as well burn the stuff in my room, too."

I went back into my room and boxed up all his old things, tossing them into the fire.

Flames licked hot, but I felt soaked in freezing water.

For days after, the yard echoed with banging and tearing.

The whole garden of lilies Ethan had planted for me got dug up and replaced with Hanna's favorite red roses.

The glass sunroom, where we played piano and watched sunsets, was smashed and turned into a pool for her workouts.

Even the wisteria arbor where we first admitted our feelings got ripped out and dug into a pond she loved for lotuses.

The day they planted the lotus seeds, Hanna blocked me in the yard.

She lifted her chin, flashing the ring on her finger. "Ethan found this ring design in his room, saying it was for his future bride. He stayed up nights making it and proposed to me."

She wiggled her finger. "What do you think, pretty?"

The bird-and-fish pattern was my old favorite.

I nodded, sincere. "It's gorgeous. Looks great on you."

"But I hate it. We both know who that design was really for." She glared. "You keep saying you're over Ethan, but his old feelings for you? They're like a ticking bomb. It keeps me up at night."

"So, what do you want?" I asked.

"I want..." Mid-sentence, she twisted hard and plunged into the muddy pond they'd just dug.

A shove sent me stumbling aside, crashing to the ground. My ankle throbbed like hell, and my palm got scraped on rocks, burning up my arm.

Before I could get up, Ethan dove in like a madman and hauled Hanna out, both caked in stinking mud.

He ignored the mess, frantically wiping mud from her face.

His voice was full of panic. "You okay? Choke on water? Eyes sting? Any cuts?"

Hanna took a minute to shake her head, then broke into tears. "I'm fine, but the ring you gave me was tossed in the water. I went in to grab it and fell."

She held up her hand, and the ring was gone.

"I'm not welcome here," she sobbed. "Let's go back to our apartment, okay? At least, no one bullies me there."

Her pitiful look tugged at his heart.

His eyes went cold. "Who tossed your ring? Who bullied you?"

Hanna pressed her lips together and shot me a scared glance, making it obvious.

I clutched my swollen ankle, stunned. "It wasn't me."

Ethan shot me an icy look that chilled me to the bone.

"I got no reason to steal a ring," I rasped, explaining.

"You know damn well," Ethan snapped, then scooped Hanna up and nodded to a bodyguard. "Whoever tossed it goes in and fishes it out."

The bodyguard grabbed me and hurled me into the water.

The winter water bit me like knives. I shivered hard on contact, scrambling to get out, but he shoved my shoulder back down.

"No ring, no getting out." His voice was flat. "Want less pain? Find it fast."

I bit my lip and gave in, bobbing in the filthy water. My fingers groped through the icy mud.

Dirty water seeped up my sleeves, numbing my fingertips.

From dawn to dusk, till Ethan's parents were due back, I finally snagged the ring.

Gripping it, I dragged myself to Ethan's door and knocked.

He opened the door, his eyes dark. "I'll let it slide this time. Just stay away from Hanna."

He flipped his hand, and the ring sailed out of the window.

"Hanna doesn't like the style. I'll redesign one for her," he said.

I watched the ring I'd fought for vanish into darkness and forced a smile.

It made sense. He saw our past as baggage and naturally didn't want the ring that bore reminiscences.

...

Even though Ethan's parents never warmed to Hanna, they couldn't fight his stubbornness.

They swallowed it and threw a lavish engagement party.

Guests kept glancing my way.

"Debbie has got it rough—busts her ass finding her guy, and now he's marrying someone else."

"They were childhood sweethearts, made for each other. Everyone thought they'd tie the knot. Who saw this twist coming?"

"If I were her, I'd slap that jerk and his side piece. No way I'd show up here."

Hanna glided to the center in a high-end gown. Ethan held her hand, his eyes overflowing with tenderness.

He cleared his throat, dropping his usual chill for something polished. "Folks. Let me introduce you properly to..."

Before he could finish, the lights flickered and went out.

In the dark, chairs crashed, and screams erupted.

I backed into a corner, but someone grabbed my wrist, slapping a rag reeking of chemicals over my mouth.

The world spun. I fought hard but eventually blacked out, screams filling my ears.

Sometime later, Hanna's hushed yell cut through. "Dammit! Who told you to do it at the engagement party? I said kidnap me and pin it on Debbie. Why did you bring her too? You idiots! Even if you played it straight, you're not getting the rest of the cash. You wrecked my whole plan!"

My mind cleared, piecing it together.

It was another setup by Hanna, but this went off-script.

In the struggle, I'd felt a gun holster on one of them. These weren't her hired thugs.

Worse, the leader's voice rang familiar.