The party had been a blur. I’d spent half the time dodging Ciara’s glares and the other half trying to catch Elordi’s attention. But nothing could have prepared me for what I overheard that night.
I was standing by the snack table, trying to decide if stuffing my face with cookies would help my mood, when I caught a glimpse of Ciara and Finn talking. At first, I wasn’t paying much attention, but then I heard my name.
“So, are you going to ask her out or what?” Ciara asked, leaning in close to Finn like they were plotting world domination.
Finn sighed, looking uncomfortable. “I don’t know, Ciara. She’s... she’s too young. It just doesn’t feel right.”
It was like the floor dropped out from under me.
Was he talking about me?
“You mean Hanna?” Ciara asked, pretending to be surprised, but I knew better.
“Yeah,” Finn said, rubbing the back of his neck. “She’s great, don’t get me wrong. But she’s just not ready for someone like me.”
Ciara leaned in even closer, smiling in that way that made me want to scream. “Of course, she’s not. You and I, though? We make sense.”
I couldn’t breathe. Everything I’d hoped for, all the little moments I thought we had shared, shattered in that instant. Finn didn’t want me. He thought I was too young, too... too <em>everything</em>. And worst of all, he was choosing Ciara. <em>Ciara</em>.
Before I knew it, my feet were moving. I ran out of the house, out of the party, tears already streaming down my face by the time I reached the park. I collapsed onto a bench, my whole body shaking.
