Chapter 1Declan can't breathe around anything stuffy. Or so he says.
Hospital? Five minutes in, he's out the door. "Babe, seriously, that disinfectant smell? I can't."
Marriage license? We're in line, he ghosts. "Too many people, I'm gonna pass out." Comes back after we've lost our spot.
Every damn time: "I'm sorry, okay? You know how messed up my lungs are. I'm literally dying here."
And I bought it. Every word.
Then I crash at Sienna's new place. She won't shut up about her mystery man.
"Girl, he was turning white in this disgusting furniture warehouse, but he wouldn't leave! Just stood there suffering for me!"
Her bedroom door's wide open.
That's when I see it.
His air purifier.
Everything freezes.
"Sienna." I can barely get it out. "Your boyfriend. His name Declan Hale?"
---
Sienna's face freezes for a second.
Then she forces this smile. "What? You seriously think I'm sleeping with Declan?"
My fists clench. I can barely breathe.
That air purifier. I spent weeks researching that exact model.
Because of Declan's "condition," we've never shared a room. I blast AC all night, he sleeps with windows wide open, says he'll suffocate otherwise.
I couldn't do separate beds forever. Bought that machine thinking maybe we could finally sleep in the same room.
First night it arrived, we actually slept together. By midnight he was back in the guest room. Morning came, machine was gone.
"Got rid of it."
Stone cold when I asked, wouldn't even look at me. "Thing's garbage anyway. Didn't help. Just takes up space."
Now it's sitting in Sienna's bedroom.
Declan wanted someone in his bed. Just not me.
My stomach churns. I can picture them tangled in those sheets.
Sienna catches my stare. "The purifier? Anna, come on! This place is brand new, I'm the first tenant! Obviously I'm worried about chemicals!"
She does this whole innocent act. "So because Declan can't breathe sometimes, you thought—"
"Anna. Stop. Nothing's going on."
God, she sounds so real.
But same brand? Same exact model? Out of hundreds?
My eyes drop to the photo album on the coffee table.
"You've been dating someone for months. Won't introduce him because he's always busy."
"Show me one picture."
I reach for it.
"NO!"
She throws herself at me.
We slam into the floor, my elbow cracking hard, pain shooting everywhere. Sienna's sprawled on top of me, blood dripping from her hand. The album goes flying into the corner.
The door beeps.
Declan walks in.
His face goes white. He pulls Sienna up first, then carefully lifts me.
"Anna? What are you doing here? You didn't tell me!"
"Are you hurt?"
My chest is caving in.
I can't speak.
He sits me on the couch, goes straight for the first aid kit like he knows exactly where it is. Heads to the kitchen, comes back with two glasses.
Mine's warm. He always remembers I don't drink cold water.
Sienna's has honey mixed in. She won't drink it plain. He remembers that too.
Yesterday he told me two more days away for work.
Now he's standing here, exhausted and rumpled, in her apartment.
Those two days? He saved them for her.
He kneels down in front of me, cleaning the cuts, blowing on them softly.
Sienna makes this small hurt sound.
His head whips around. "Really bad? Here, give me that."
He takes the cotton from her hand. "You never do this right."
Her eyes well up. Tears start falling.
I go completely still.
I've known Sienna since we were seven. She doesn't cry. Ever. Broke her leg in sixth grade, screamed about the pain, but stayed completely dry-eyed.
But when someone actually loves you? You let yourself break.
Everything clicks into place.
The marriage license. The day he ditched that line.
He had somewhere else to be.
Chapter 2
Declan sits down next to me after patching us up.
Starts fumbling through some explanation. "Hey, don't freak out. I came by to plan your birthday thing with Sienna."
My birthday's coming up soon. They've been scheming together, apparently.
I must look like hell because he reaches over and touches my face.
He pulls out a perfume bottle and shoves it at me.
"Got this on the trip. Picked it just for you."
"One minute in that store, five outside dying."
He's trying to be sweet. I feel absolutely nothing.
This perfume. Sienna literally sent me this exact bottle last week, said she was obsessed.
Sienna jumps in fast. "Oh god, Anna, I was gonna buy you that! I even asked about it!"
"Declan mentioned it, so I just told him."
I force out a smile. My thumb brushes against the engraving on the glass.
Jenny.
"Anna, that album's personal stuff. Me and my boyfriend. That's why I completely wigged out. I'm so sorry I slammed into you."
Sienna's ears turn red as she looks at Declan all helpless. "She actually thought we were sleeping together!"
"Totally my fault though. I really need to introduce you guys. Dinner soon, yeah?"
She's acting like this somehow fixes everything.
We leave Sienna's place. Declan won't shut up about getting me X-rays.
He parks at the hospital but doesn't move from his seat.
"I'll wait here. You know how hospitals completely wreck me."
My back's absolutely killing me.
Fine. I head inside alone.
I finish the X-rays and cut through the OB-GYN department.
Then I freeze completely.
Six years together. Mask or not, I'd know him anywhere.
He's wearing that black jacket from his backseat, the one he literally never touches.
Sienna's standing right there next to him, also masked up.
He's holding some papers, talking to her all soft and gentle.
My brain completely whites out. I run.
His car's empty when I get back. I stand there like an idiot forever.
When he finally shows up, the jacket's gone.
"Been waiting long? Why didn't you text me back?"
"Some guy nearby was smoking. Had to walk off."
I close my eyes and slump against the passenger seat.
My chest's so tight I can't get a word out.
I don't tell him I saw everything.
Saw him helping Sienna into a car at the entrance, bending down to kiss her forehead.
That night I can't sleep at all. My door suddenly opens.
The mattress dips beside me.
Declan sits on the edge of my bed, fixes my blanket, runs his fingers through my hair real soft.
The door clicks shut again.
He does this every single night, has to check on me before he can go back to sleep.
I used to think it was kind of cute. He'd get all serious about it.
"Anna, you don't get it. Seeing you asleep, just hearing you breathe—that's the only time I feel okay."
It sounded so damn real back then.
Never thought he'd fall for someone else.
Sure as hell never thought it'd be Sienna.
I hear noise coming from outside. I'm wide awake now.
I get up and check. Declan's room is empty, car keys are gone.
Two hours later Sienna posts something.
I was strong for so long. Until you became my armor.
The photo's a window reflection showing two bodies pressed together, her tucked into someone's chest. Their faces are completely hidden.
On the table by the window sits a container of congee, still steaming hot.
I recognize that packaging immediately. It's from that late-night seafood place near our old college.
When my first boyfriend dumped me, Sienna got completely wasted with me there.
She grabbed both my hands and went off on him. "That asshole's totally blind! Can't see what's right in front of him! But I can!"
"Anna, you're literally the best person on this planet and I'd take care of you for life!"
That place doesn't do delivery at all.
Declan drove two hours round trip just to get her that congee.
Because Sienna was craving that old taste.
The restaurant's still standing there. Our friendship? Completely destroyed.
I calmly like the post, then open my email and pull up that job offer from a few weeks back.
Overseas research lab. Classified project. Two-year contract.
Two years sounds absolutely perfect. My family won't worry too much, and it gives me time to let go of everything.
I hit accept.
My phone buzzes with a new message. It's from Sienna.
Anna don't overthink it ok? I'll bring him to your day I promise
Chapter 3
The day before I leave is my birthday.
Garden restaurant. Sienna shows up with her "boyfriend."
She's all over him, totally glowing. "Everyone, this is Liam."
I'm completely frozen.
She actually hired someone just to keep lying to me?
Why? Scared I'll lose it when I find out the truth?
It's insane.
Declan sits next to me, practically shaking with tension.
Sienna gets cozy with Liam and launches into their whole story.
"Known him forever. But I really fell when I passed out on the street. Low blood sugar. He was just there."
"Woke up and he dragged me to the hospital. Did everything—paperwork, waiting, all of it. Nobody ever did that before. I always went alone."
Declan's face shifts for just a second.
Sienna glances his way, real casual.
Oh. This is their story. Hers and Declan's.
I hate sweet stuff, but at some point Declan's car suddenly had mints and chocolate stocked everywhere.
"He watches my show every single day. Says I make his mornings better."
"Just clicked after that. Fell hard. Now we're together."
Sienna does weather reports on the radio.
Declan never misses her morning broadcast.
Sunny forecast? He'd pull out sunscreen for me ahead of time.
Rain coming? He'd stick an umbrella in my bag, remind me not to get wet.
I thought he loved me. Turns out I was just convenient.
My chest's caving in, nails digging hard into my palms under the table.
A server walks over smiling big. "You guys dating? Kiss for the camera, get half off!"
Sienna freezes completely. Declan's jaw locks tight.
Everything stops.
I look at Sienna and force a laugh. "We've done that a million times. You two should go for it."
Her face drains of all color as she bites down on her lip.
Declan's eyes turn ice cold. "Nah. Public thing. Kinda weird."
I raise an eyebrow at him. "Weird? It's just a kiss."
"Unless this whole thing is fake?"
Sienna suddenly lunges forward and pecks Liam's mouth. Over in an instant.
The server snaps the shot.
When the photo prints out, Liam looks absolutely miserable.
I snatch it up and shove it right in Declan's face. "Look how cute they are!"
"Sienna, you guys are literally perfect together."
Her smile looks like it's about to shatter.
Declan looks physically sick and downs half his water in one gulp.
The silence is absolutely suffocating.
I just keep eating like nothing's wrong.
Dinner ends badly.
I leave the bathroom and find Declan leaning against his car, smoking.
Smoke curling everywhere, his eyes look completely dead.
Years ago I mentioned once that I hated cigarette smoke. He quit that same day.
This is the first time he's smoked around me since then.
Must be eating him alive inside.
When he spots me coming, he snaps out of it and crushes the cigarette. "Sorry. Work's been absolute hell."
"Liam had to leave early. Some work emergency. We're giving Sienna a ride home."
"She's still inside with fans doing photos or whatever. We'll just wait."
I don't say anything.
A few minutes drag by. Then chaos suddenly erupts inside the restaurant.
Thick smoke starts pouring out through the doors.
People flood through the exits, full-on panicking and screaming.
Declan's eyes go huge as he grabs someone running past. "What the hell happened in there?"
"Some psycho fan's got that weather girl trapped inside!"
"Guy brought gasoline or something, set the whole place on fire! He's screaming at her about why she'd rather be some guy's mistress than date him..."
