Ribbons Unbound: My Fiancé's Lingering Regret novel Chapter 22

He practically shoved me into the hotel's private lounge, the door slamming behind us with a final-sounding click.

Blocking the exit with his six-foot frame, Aiden towered over me, his perfectly tailored suit doing nothing to hide the tension in his shoulders. His voice shook with a mixture of anger and disbelief.

"Real mature, Brooklyn! Throwing away everything we planned just to spite me? Running off to Stanford? We had our whole future mapped out!"

I lifted my chin, finally finding the courage I'd spent all summer building. My voice came out steadier than I felt.

"I'm allowed to have my own dreams. Why does my entire life have to revolve around your plans? God, Aiden, do you even hear yourself?"

I took a deep breath and delivered the blow I'd been holding back: "And be honest - are you really angry about broken promises, or because you're losing your convenient backup girl?"

Hit with the unvarnished truth, Aiden's face flushed red. He stumbled back like I'd physically struck him, his back hitting the expensive wallpaper. "How can you... what are you even... you..." For once in his life, the golden boy was speechless.

Finally, he straightened his tie - a nervous habit I'd watched him develop since his first Model UN conference. "We've known each other since third grade. We're seniors now. Since you've chosen to throw away a decade of friendship, let's not pretend anymore. Have fun in California."

With that, he fled the hotel, leaving ten years of memories hanging in the air between us. The same way he used to flee when we were kids and I beat him at Mario Kart - always running when things didn't go his way.