Chapter 17

"Let's get together," Ted said, his voice gaining urgency. "I know you like me. I'll give you whatever you want. Come back, Nora."

I watched him closely, imagining how ecstatic I would have been if he'd uttered those words just months ago.

I'd carried a crush on him for over a decade, through exhaustion, tears, and endless heartache. But I'd never once given up on loving him.

Now, my dream had finally come true, Ted reciprocating, but all it stirred in me was a sense of ridiculous irony, followed by a deep, bone-weary fatigue washing over my soul.

I shook my head. "No."

He gripped my shoulders tightly, his brows knitting together in a mix of desperation and urgency. "Why? Tell me you don't like me. Say it to my face."

I met his eyes, searching them deeply. The boy I'd known had grown into this man, his features unchanged in so many ways, yet everything between us felt irrevocably altered.

For the first time, I saw clearly that there was no going back.

"No one's going to wait fo