Page 49 of Don’t Forget Me

I closed the door behind me, hoping and praying that Zack would take care of the party while I was gone.

“Lysandra, please wait,” I begged.

I let her walk away once, and I had regretted it every day of my life since. There was no way in hell that I was going to let her leave with us like that. I couldn’t lose her again.

They continued marching out of my place and into the hallway. Camille looked back with apologetic eyes, frowning with pity.

“You don’t love him. How can you get married if you don’t love him?” I questioned.

Camille exclaimed, “Lysandra, wait.” Pulling on her arm.

Lysandra stopped. Her entire body stiffened as she let go of Cami’s arm. The long and dark corridors grew silent, and I believed she would end me with her double-edged sword that her tongue was.

That’s the thing about loving someone so fiercely. They have you in the palm of their hand, and that it becomes so easy for them to break you.

Lysandra wasn’t the type to inflict pain unless she was hurt first. This was just the consequence of my actions. “You lost your chance, Ezra. You ruined it. You ruined me.”

The oxygen in my lungs slowly began to leave. My chest started contracting. Like I’d been stabbed. Like I was dying.

“Lys,” Camille whispered, voice soft.

And there it was again. The hatred, the resentment, and the pain in her eyes. I just had to look into her soulful gaze to know that she was sad. And it was my fault. Once again, my aspirations were broken by what I’d done.

I should have given up.

Once and for all, because it was clear that she wanted nothing to do with me.

“Don’t marry him, Lysandra,” I said. “He won’t make you happy. This—this relationship is a farce, and you know it.”

Camille put a hand on her mouth.

Lysandra shook her head, lips pursed. She breathed in, closing her eyes before saying, “Look… I’m sorry for what I said about your parents. That really wasn’t my place, especially because we have that in common. But that doesn’t justify you entering my personal life and giving your opinions on matters that have nothing to do with you. So please, just leave me alone. I don’t need another scandal that involves you.”

I desperately wished not to have a relationship like my parents. Loveless. Violent. Toxic.

Were we just as cursed as our parents? Was there truly no hope for people like us?

She tightened her fingers inward, knuckles turning white, before shifting and giving me her back. Once again, I watched her walk away from me. And at that moment, I had the worst case of déjà vu as I held onto my chest with excruciating pain.

twenty three

LYSANDRA

5 YEARS AGO

“How are you doing after…” I trailed off, not wanting to expose his innermost bruises to the students walking beside us. The corridor was filled with rushing scholars, hurrying from one classroom to another. As Ezra and I walked through the busy corridor, there were occasional groups that leaned against the dark walls of the hallway, impeding others from passing through.

Our history class had finished, and Ezra offered to walk me to my next class. I had resisted at first, yet his excuse had been that his next class was near mine.

It had only been a week since the incident, and his bruises were gone. Neither of us had spoken a word to each other about it, but it pained me to see him like that. I had to know how he was doing. I didn’t wish to step past my boundaries, and he—well, I was sure it wasn’t an easy subject to converse about.

I didn’t wish to pressure him. Surely, if he needed assistance, he’d let me know.

“I don’t like talking about it,” he began. “It’s not that I don’t trust you. If anything, I confide in you more than I can in my best friend.”

I pursed my lips. I wasn’t the type of person who held pity for others, until then. Ezra trusted a girl he barely knew over his best friend, whom he’s known his entire life. To me, that was depressing.

“No one knows. No one can know.”