Page 68 of Never Enough

Victoria’s sneer draws my attention, her words slicing through the air like a sharp knife. “You need to get over your little crush on my brother. It’s embarrassing and, to be frank, pathetic.” My cheeks flush with embarrassment as tears blur my vision, but rather than feel like she’s being cruel, I gain a new perspective. All this time, I thought she was relentlessly mean for no reason, but she’s giving me the blunt truth.

I choke out, “I understand, and you’re absolutely right. I need to move on.”

Victoria looks taken aback by my lack of a retort, but for once, I’m grateful for her blunt honesty. Maybe this is what I’ve needed all along. The realization hits me like a punch to the gut—I can’t bear to look at Alex anymore. The pain in my heart is too great.How I’ve been in love with him for far too long, and now that love is crumbling into nothingness, dawns on me.

Without a backwards glance, I rush back into the house, ignoring the sounds of the party and the music. I think I hear someone calling my name, but I can’t stop. In this moment, all I can see in my mind’s eye is Celeste sitting on his lap, their bodies entwined. He is whispering sweet nothings into her ear while twirling her hair around his finger. They laugh as if they are the only two people in the world.

In my mind, he is also reassuring her and telling her how much she means to him. He is finally free from me because I have stumbled onto the path that breaks my heart, while that same path fixes his.

I am the villainous witch who keeps the prince from his princess. The realization hits hard: Alex never belonged to me. He never did and never will.

I stumble towards my car, barely managing to buckle my seatbelt before pulling out of the driveway and speeding away as fast as I can. When my vision becomes too blurred from tears to see straight, I pull over to the side of the road.

In this moment, I am the villain in Alex’s story, but I also know that I deserve more than this. My mother always warned me about my tendency towards darkness, and if I continue to play the roleof the villain in the Whitmore family’s story, I will start to believe that is all I am capable of. I refuse to be anyone’s dirty little secret or settle for fake love out of obligation.

The nagging feeling I had last night was right. I should have listened to it.

Sobbing, I pull my phone from my pocket and send a text to Alex. The fact that he has not bothered to reach out to me confirms my suspicions. We should break up in person, but hasn’t our relationship already ended? When I saw him flirting and being intimate with another woman, it was over before it even began. So why should I feel guilty for ending things through a text? If anything, I am showing him mercy by not making him do it himself. Even though it feels like my heart is shattering into a million tiny pieces, at least I am taking control of my own happiness. Unlike Alex, who strung me along with false promises and led me on.

Yes, maybe I am the villain in his story, but in this moment, I am finding the strength to choose myself while letting go in the process.

Me:

You’re off the hook.

Then, I block his number and all of his social media accounts.

Goodbye, Alexandru Whitmore. It was a beautiful dream, but I still woke up alone.

Chapter twenty-six

Alex

Holy shit, I can’t breathe. I left Daphne in pieces and did nothing. I couldn’t, so I just sat there with Celeste in my lap, like a frozen idiot.

I hate myself for it.

I love Daphne. Instead of Celeste, I loveDaphne.

Practically throwing Celeste off me, I lunge from the water and attempt to follow Daphne. Celeste shouts, “What the fuck?” while my sister scrunches her brows, but I don’t stop to answer them. Daphne weaves through the crowd, eager to get away from me.

Meanwhile, the music vibrates the floor, causing me to stumble. I’m not that tipsy, but I am upset enough that it’s tilting my world on its axis. The room spins, causing my body to sway as I attempt to walk. All I can think about is Daphne’s beautiful face, twisting in pain.

“You need to get over your little crush on my brother. It’s embarrassing and, to be frank, pathetic.”

“I understand, and you’re absolutely right. I need to move on.”

No, baby, no! Please don’t leave me. I love you!

Frantically, I crane my neck to search for her. Curse her for being tiny enough to escape the crowd. I rush to the kitchen to grab my phone, also damning myself for not keeping it closer. Every second I can’t find her feels like a lifetime. Just as I unlock my phone to call her, I’m shoved backward. My back cracks against the countertop, but I’m more surprised than hurt.

“You asshole!” Eden shouts over the music. Her jade eyes glare at me. I’m not even mad that she pushed me. I deserve worse.

“Wh-where is s-she?” I frantically ask, so upset that I don’t even care that I’m stuttering.

“Beats me. You’re her boyfriend. Shouldn’t you know where she is?” She sarcastically taps her chin. “Oh, wait. You’re not her boyfriend, you’re Celeste’s.”

I growl. “Cut the sh-shit, E-Eden. C-call her; she’ll a-answer for y-you.” We don’t have time to argue. Daphne’s hurt, and I can’t stand the thought of her in pain for another second.

---