The stranger part was that we weren't just both new students. We were in the same major, the same class.

One thing led to another, and we drifted together as naturally as anything, the golden couple everyone in class always talked about.

By now we'd been together seven years, and both sets of parents were planning to have us married by the end of the year.

I didn't answer any of the questions flying around the group chat. I just typed one line and sent it.

"Let's all wish this newly official couple a long and happy life together."

The moment it landed, the chat went dead silent. Exactly like that private dining room at the restaurant a little while ago.

That was when Byron came home.

He barely got through the door before he was in my face, coat still on, demanding answers.

"What was that stunt at the restaurant today? And that line you just posted in the group, what's that supposed to mean?"

"Willow, I throw you a birthday party and somehow I'm the one in the wrong?"

"It's your birthday. I wanted us to have a good time, and you had to go and ruin the mood for everybody, is that it?"

Question after question. Not one word of apology. Not one word of concern.

I lifted my head and studied the lines of his face, slowly, feature by feature.

This man I'd loved for seven whole years felt like a complete stranger to me now.

I cleared my throat.

"What's it supposed to mean? You can't tell?"

"Byron, we're done."

That only pushed him higher.

"You are being completely unreasonable!"

"We're about to get married. You think this is the time to be joking around?"

So he knew too.

Some things you don't joke about.

When I said nothing, his voice eased a little, though the anger underneath was still plain enough.

"Fine. I know Isabel took the joke a little too far today. It was my fault, all right?"

"She's an old neighbor of ours, our parents get along, and I've always thought of her as a little sister. She's young. We can afford to cut her some slack."

"Okay, okay. Don't be angry."

The laugh that came out of me was pure disbelief.

"She's young? Byron, the three of us were in the same class in college. She's half a year younger than you, and two months older than me."

"You're a grown man. You're still playing this whole no-blood-relation big brother, little sister game? Doesn't that make your skin crawl?"

I didn't spare him a thing, and it lit his temper right back up.

"I already apologized. What more do you want from me?"

I stayed where I was on the couch and didn't move. My answer was written all over me.

I'd already said what I had to say. I wasn't going to say it twice.

A vein was jumping at his temple, he was so angry.

"My parents are already picking a wedding date for us. Both families have it all settled."

"And now you want to break up? How exactly do you plan to do that?"

I didn't answer. I stood, walked straight into the master bedroom, and started packing my things.

I only ever stayed over at Byron's place on weekends. There wasn't much of mine in that apartment.

It didn't take long to gather my clothes and toiletries.

When I passed through the living room dragging my suitcase, he was still standing rooted to the same spot.

I didn't so much as glance at him.

"You don't need to trouble yourself over how we break up. My parents and I will handle it."

"Go take care of your little sister. After all, she's so. very. young."

I bit down hard on those last words, and his face went ugly in an instant.

From the look of him, he had some more nonsense ready to spill.

I couldn't be bothered to hear it. I walked straight out and shut his voice behind the door.

By the time I got home, it was nearly midnight.

Hearing the commotion, my parents came out of the master bedroom in their pajamas.

"Willow? What are you doing home at this hour?"

"Didn't you say Byron was throwing you a birthday dinner tonight, that you wouldn't be back?"

Seeing them, my nose stung, and the tears nearly spilled over.

How could I not be hurting?

Seven years with Byron were seven real years. I had truly loved him.

Once, I had truly believed I would walk through my whole life beside that man.

Noticing something wrong in my face, Mom shot Dad a look before turning back to me.

"All right, it's late now. Go up and rest first."

"Whatever it is, we can talk about it once you've had some sleep."

For the next two days I stayed home and didn't go out. Byron, still sulking, didn't reach out to me either.

On the third day, Isabel posted several photo grids to her social media feed.

Different outfits, different hair and makeup, but the same man standing beside her in every one.

Byron.

The comment section exploded all over again.

"Are these wedding photos? Isabel, are you and Byron actually together now?"

"Sounds like something wonderful's on the way? Congrats, congrats!"

Isabel spun out her fake little explanation in the replies.

"Oh, don't get the wrong idea, everyone. These are the wedding photos Willow and Byron booked."

"They had a fight recently, but the shoot was already booked and couldn't be refunded, so Byron just brought me along to take them."

"For me they're hardly wedding photos, though. At most they're just some personal portraits."

In that moment, the last thread of hope I'd been holding for Byron vanished completely.

No more wedding photos.

And this man standing next to someone else? I didn't want him either.

I went downstairs and looked at my parents, their faces full of worry in the living room.

"Mom, Dad, let's go over to the Fox house tomorrow."

"If we're calling off the engagement, it's best the parents on both sides sit down and talk it through."

To avoid the Fox family's dinnertime, we went a little later on purpose.

By the time we reached their place it was almost eight. The whole family had just finished eating and was sitting in the living room watching TV.

When she saw us, Kathryn Fox looked a little taken aback.

"Willow? And the two of you, what brings you by at this hour?"

"Why didn't you tell us sooner? I could've made a few dishes and we'd have had dinner together. As it is now…"

Mom cut Kathryn off flatly.

"Don't call us family. We're not family anymore."

"And we're not here to eat tonight. There's something we'd like to discuss with you."

Seeing how serious my parents' expressions were, Kathryn said nothing more and stepped aside to lead us in.

My parents had barely sat down when Byron pulled me off to one side.

"What is this supposed to mean?"

"Willow, are you really not going to be satisfied until you've blown this whole thing up?"

I couldn't be bothered to say much to him. I shook his hand off and went to sit beside my parents.

The moment I sat down, my father spoke.

"We've brought Willow here today to call off the engagement."

"The two of them aren't right for each other. I think this wedding should just be dropped."

Brent Fox panicked at once.

"Come now, you can't say things like that. They're young. Fighting, having problems, it's all normal."

"We're the adults here. We can't lose our heads over this."

I forced a smile at Brent and Kathryn.

"Uncle, Aunt, this isn't some simple squabble."

"I've thought it over carefully. Byron and I aren't right for each other. Even if we married, we'd never have a good life together."

"There's no need to keep talking us out of it. My family has already made up its mind. That's why we've come to your door."

I kept my manners intact, barely.

After all, this was between Byron and me. It had nothing to do with his parents.

The words had hardly left my mouth before Byron shot to his feet, seething.

"Willow! Do you really have to be this petty?"

"Isabel just played a little joke on you, that's all. She's our old neighbor. We grew up together. She's no different from my own little sister."

"Why can't you make room for her in your life?"

Kathryn jumped in to back him up.

"That's right, Willow, sweetheart. If you and Byron are fighting over Isabel, then you've really got it all wrong."

"Brent and I have known that girl for years. Her parents and ours get along just fine, we've been neighbors forever. There's absolutely nothing going on between her and Byron."

"Trust me, honey. This time you're reading too much into it."

I lifted my head, forcing down the anger churning in my chest.

"Reading too much into it? Byron, let me ask you a few questions, and then you tell me whether I'm reading too much into it."

"Every Valentine's Day the two of us spend, she tags along. Every Valentine's gift you buy me always comes with one for her, too!"

"Two days ago, on my birthday, she kissed you on the cheek in front of all our friends. She even posted it on her feed saying the two of you had gone official."

"Yesterday, you went with her to do a wedding photoshoot. She posted four full grids of photos. Those were the wedding photos I spent forever choosing!"

That last sentence, I nearly screamed it.

The surge of adrenaline set my hands trembling and I couldn't stop it, but I still fought to keep down the wave of hurt threatening to swallow me whole.

"And I won't even bother mentioning the rest, the late-night phone calls, going over to fix her leaky pipes."

"Byron, now you tell me. Everything the two of you have been doing, is that how an ordinary brother and sister act? Am I the one who misunderstood?"

"Back in the old days, wouldn't she be more like a mistress you keep on the side?"

Kathryn stared at Byron, disbelieving.

"Byron, is everything Willow said true? Is this how you and Isabel have been carrying on this whole time?"

"Byron! Is this how your father and I raised you?!"

Byron's lips worked, and just as he was about to force out some explanation, a figure came out of the bathroom.

She walked toward us drying her wet hair, clearly fresh from a shower.

"Byron, your body wash smells awful."

"Why didn't you use the one I bought you? I'm so used to mine..."

Isabel's voice cut off the instant she saw all of us in the living room.

"Why... why are there so many people here?"

Before any of us could get a word out, Isabel darted straight into the bedroom and shut the door.

I pointed toward the spot where Isabel had vanished and looked at the three of them.

"This is the brother and sister you were talking about?"

Kathryn hurried to grab my hand, trying to explain.

"No, Willow, this time you really have it wrong."

"Isabel's parents are away on a business trip these couple of days. Our families are close, so we just let her stay here for now."

I turned my body aside, out of reach of Kathryn's outstretched hand.

"There's no need to say all this. We came here today to call off the engagement anyway. Whoever your family lets move in is none of my business."

My mother, meanwhile, was so heartsick the tears just kept falling.

"You've swallowed all this hurt, why didn't you tell your mother?"

"Look at you, child. They've been walking all over you, and you're still covering for him."

I patted the back of my mother's hand to soothe her, lost for words for a moment.

Byron wasn't a piece of clothing you could throw away the second it tore.

And he wasn't a bag of garbage you could toss out the door without a second thought.