The joint statement had been live for only two hours, but the reactions were already pouring in. I sat on the porch steps with my phone in my lap, scrolling through the comments with a knot in my stomach. Some people are calling it romantic. Others are still tearing us apart. My thoughts twisted painfully. I keep seeing the same words over and over — homewrecker, forbidden, disgusting. Every time I read them, I remember that first night in the blizzard. The way Ethan’s touch felt like fire in the cold. The guilt that followed me for weeks. I chose love over loyalty, and now the world is judging me for it. Ethan stepped outside and sat beside me, pulling me into his side without a word. “Don’t read them, Ava. They don’t know us.” Ryan leaned against the railing, arms crossed. “The positive ones are gaining traction. A few influencers are defending us. Saying love doesn’t follow rules.” I looked up at my brother, eyes stinging. “Does it hurt you? Seeing all this public?” Ryan was qu
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