Chapter 1

The girl who bullied me for three years of high school cornered me at our ten-year reunion.

She was smiling like nothing had happened, listing her old crimes as if they were inside jokes.

"Why are you dressed so plain today? You're not still wearing pink lace underwear under there, are you?"

"Relax. Straps showing are on trend now. Even if I said it out loud, nobody would laugh at you."

"Don't tell me you're still petty enough to hold a grudge after ten whole years?"

The moment the words left her mouth, the room went silent. Every head turned toward me, as if I were the one who had done something unforgivable.

Sixteen-year-old Ava would have frozen, stammered that she wasn't upset, apologized for nothing at all.

But I'm twenty-six now. So I answered her plainly.

"Yeah, I've always hated you. Couldn't you tell?"

...

My honest answer dropped the temperature in the room to freezing.

Sebastian, my childhood friend I hadn't seen in ten years, finally broke the silence.

"Ava, all that stuff was a long time ago. I've been wanting to put together a get-together for ages so everyone could clear the air. Back then we were just kidding around. Let's bury the hatchet and start over."

Madison caught on instantly and raised her glass with that same breezy confidence she used to wear in high school.

"Ava, we're all classmates here. If I ever stepped on your toes back in the day, don't take it personally. This is just how I am. I don't get the whole mind-games thing you girls do."

Everyone else jumped in right on cue.

"Right, right, don't get all worked up over nothing. Madison's straight-shooting style is way more our speed."

"Whatever's in the bottle stays in the bottle. Who holds a grudge for ten years? Don't be so uptight."

"Exactly. Don't be petty. Madison's the one who dragged you out tonight, you know."

They tossed around Madison's decision to pull me into this dinner like it was a gift of acceptance. Like not clinking glasses, not making peace with her, would mean I didn't know how lucky I was.

I'd been ungrateful plenty of times already. This wasn't going to be the exception.

I left the glass where it was. "I can't. I'm pregnant."

Sebastian's wine glass hit the floor.

The rest of them swapped glances. Only Madison let a flash of pure delight cross her eyes.

Sebastian forced out a painful smile. "If you don't want to drink, just don't. What kind of joke is that?"

I kept my voice even. "I'm not joking. I'm married. I'm pregnant. I came back to the States to handle some business with my husband."

Madison couldn't hide the joy in her voice.

"When did this happen? Why didn't you invite us? Congratulations."

It was probably the most sincere thing she'd said all night. From now on, she didn't have to keep playing the role of Sebastian's tomboy best friend.

Sebastian's voice went bitter, trying to sound casual.

"Right... you used to always say you'd be my bride someday... Ava, you were lying to me, weren't you?"

Someone else stepped forward like they couldn't stand it anymore.

"Ava, why would you joke about something like this? Do you have any idea Sebastian's been waiting for you all these years?"

"You didn't come to this reunion looking like a woman who wasn't trying to get back together with him. A woman who wants a happy life doesn't play these games. Take the win when you get it. Don't throw away a man like Sebastian and regret it later. You're not going to find another one like him."

Since high school, I'd known these mouths never produced anything worth hearing. So I gave them a careless smile.

"I really am married. As for anything I said back then, it was just a joke."

I looked straight at Sebastian and flung the line he'd thrown at me ten years ago right back into his chest.

"You can take a joke, can't you?"