I'd always been a loner in my high school years. Quiet, the kind of kid who sat in the back and blended in. Sometimes I went so long without talking to anyone that I'd start speaking to myself, just to remember what my own voice sounded like.
Ivy changed that. She was my only friend back then, stubbornly loyal in a way I never deserved. She pulled me out of the silence, kept me sane. But sometimes, I curse her for it. Because it was Ivy who introduced me to Lily. My ex.
I'd always had feelings for Lily, carried them like a weight through high school and even into university. It took me years to finally confess. When I did, she said yes. For a while, it was good. Simple. But then came the requests—the dresses, the shoes, the vacations I couldn't afford. I never had the kind of money she wanted me to spend.
