Chapter 1The One I Came Back For

I woke up on the day I first confessed my love to my childhood best friend.

In the middle of the crowded hall, with everyone egging us on, he looked at my tear-streaked face and said in a cold voice:

"Elara, don't you think this is a little desperate?"

Then he turned, his expression softening for the girl next to him—his perfect, unattainable crush.

"Stella, just a sec. I'll deal with this and meet you."

He turned back to me, annoyed.

"Why are you always crying?" he sighed. "You should try reading a book, Elara. Stop obsessing over this stupid high school romance."

I was so tired of his voice. I shoved him.

I shoved him, hard, and ran past him to the guy leaning against the lockers, the one everyone else was ignoring.

I threw my arms around the school's bad boy.

"Husband..."

I buried my face in his chest and sobbed.

Kai was still alive. Eighteen years old and alive. I wasn't too late.

* * *

The last thing I did was make Kai a promise. He held my hand, his grip weak, and made me swear I'd live to be a hundred before I came to find him.

I promised.

I lied.

Three days later, I followed him.

I told myself that if I saw him in the afterlife, I'd say I had a dream he was flirting with other ghosts.

The truth was, I hadn't dreamed at all.

I couldn't sleep without him.

When I opened my eyes again, I was eighteen.

I was holding a bouquet. The hallway was loud.

"Do it! Do it! Kiss him!"

People were pushing me, but my eyes scanned the crowd and found him in an instant—that stupid, bleached-blonde hair.

He was in the corner, trying to look bored, his eyes flicking toward me when he thought no one was looking.

I saw him, and the tears just came.

I tried to speak, but Ethan's voice cut through.

"Elara, don't you think this is a little desperate?"

I finally saw the boy in front of me. Frowning. Annoyed.

The noise died.

Stella, the other academic star, broke the silence. "Ethan, we need to go over our speech for the assembly."

Ethan's face melted. "Just a sec. I'll deal with this and meet you."

Stella was just like him. A straight-A robot. People always said they were the perfect "power couple."

Stella once said, "I'm not like other girls. I don't have time for drama."

Ethan had looked at her like she was a goddess. He'd told me the same thing. "I don't like girls who are all about drama."

And for my entire life, I had been nothing but drama for him.

I'd actually thought that confessing my love on my birthday, in front of everyone, would force him to be nice.

I'd forgotten. He hates being forced.

He took the flowers from my hands. "You should try reading a book, Elara. Stop obsessing over this stupid high school romance."