Page 295 of Rush

The words land harder than anything else she’s said.

“You’re so scared of not being chosen,” she continues, “that you don’t even realize someone already did.”

She’s right.

Broderick has chosen me—again and again.

Even when I didn’t deserve it.

Even when I didn’t ask him to.

All he ever wanted was for me to choose him back.

The weight of that settles deep, sinking into my bones.

What have I done?

Chapter 34

20 Something

Riley hums along to some 2000s R&B playlist as she wrestles with the zipper on her suitcase, one knee planted on top of it like she was performing CPR.

“I swear to God, if TSA opens this thing and sees how much shapewear I’ve packed?—”

“You don’t even need it,” I mutter, dragging my bag into the entranceway.

Three weeks.

This has officially been the longest Broderick and I haven’t spoken.

Space.

God, I miss him. His touch, his laugh, my vibrator and hand had been working overtime to fill the void—but it’s not the same.

“Hey, what about this one?” Riley holds up a skin-tight black dress that looks like it belongs to a Bond villain. “For the after party?”

I barely glance. “Sure.”

She squints at me. “You haven’t packed a single shoe yet. And you’re bringing, like, ten outfits.”

“Rio will probably have us covered.”

Riley lets out a small sigh but doesn’t push.

The apartment buzzes with that pre-trip energy—half excitement, half panicked frenzy.

Then comes the knock.

Not a buzz from downstairs.

I freeze.

Broderick?

Riley tilts her head. “Did you order something?”

“No.”