Page 2 (1/2)

Chapter 1

"Sadie" Alexa's voice drifts into my ear as if I'm in some sort of transparent bubble I can barely hear it, but it feels as though it's vibrating throughon?"

I turn to grab hold of her She'll steady me She's my anchor She'll knohat to do

"Is that Hunter with that redhead?" she's whispering now "Why is she clinging to hiet her hands off of him"

"She's Christina," I say as if that's going to somehow make Alexa shut up She has no idea who Christina is Until five o she was just Coral's sister Now, she's Hunter's fiancé No, wait; she's Zander's fiancé How could he besomeone else? He said I was his destiny

"I don't give a fuck who she is Tell her to back off or I will" She's pulling away fro at the fabric of her dress, trying desperately to get her to stay here, beside me I'll fall over if she walks away

"Sadie?" There's another voice next to ht emotion within it is unmistakable

I turn slowly My heart already knoho it is "I'm Sadie," I say in a broken hush

She's evenI stare at theto see all the pain that has washed over her since that day so o The day when Coral's heart became mine

"Sadie," her voice breaks as she speaks ain "I'm" the words trail

I raise my eyes slowly and I realize in that instant that the air is silent No one is htly to my hand

"You're Coral's mom" I look at her face It's weathered The fine lines around her eyes are clear signs of her age but there's aze catches mine

She nods silently and her eyes drop to my chest I pull h my heart is on display In this room, it's not my heart anymore It's Coral's heart

"I' her to understand that I need to leave I have to get out of this restaurant I feel as though the walls are closing in on me so rapidly that soon I'll be buried beneath all of the raw e the air

"Sadie, let's go" Alexa takes ht in the direction of the door

I can't ht ehhere alone? I can't control my own emotions anymore I feel a tear stream down my cheek

"This isn't the place or the tih the heavy cloak of stunned silence that is drifting through the room

My eyes pop open and his blue eyes lock with mine He's older than me, his brown hair a soft mess of curls around his handsome face

"Mother, let her go" He gently grasps the arms of Coral's mom and pries them from my shoulders

"This is her, Clive," she whispers through her tears "She's here for us"

"She's overwhelmed, Mother" He pulls hisit as she cries "I don't think she was expecting all of this" The way he raises his eyebrow as he looks atme a question

I shake my head slowly from side-to-side How could I have ever expected any of this? How did I even end up here? I'm in the middle of a roo was so perfect just an hour ago ere standing outside the front door of the restaurant

"Mother, Zander brought her here for ain and I instinctively melt into Alexa