I pick up the side of the scarf he is pointing at and see something embroidered in gold thread.
Darian’s Alice.
He’s making this too real for me. He’s forcing me to face a reality in which someone cares about me. I don’t understand. I’m scared to understand.
I look at him, a pang in my chest. “Darian, why are you doing this?”
“What do you mean?”
“I—My friends told me not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but if you figured out where I live, then you must’ve looked me up in the registry. You know the truth. Why are you still interested in me?”
He’s about to say something when I hear someone call out my name. My entire body turns stiff as a board.
Turning my head to the left, I see a familiar face approaching us. She’s not alone. Willow is dressed in a beautiful gold dress, and right
