Page 69 of Before Dawn

I slipped my phone into my pocket, took a deep breath, and drove off. Her smile and the way she opened up played on a loop in my mind, turning the drive home into a blur.

Chapter Fifteen

Abigail-Ann

“Love is not something you find; love is something that finds you.”

~ Loretta Young

Copper platinum. My hair color. I knew that. My sister and Azzy knew it too, because they’d helped me color it a few times. But Mikkel knowing it? That definitely wasn’t on my bingo card for this year. In fact, Mikkel himself wasn’t on the bingo card, or any other card, for that matter. And yet, here he was, texting me, casually dropping it into our conversation like it was no big deal.

“It’s the most beautiful color I’ve ever seen on the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.”

What? Seriously?I couldn’t shake the feeling of disbelief. It was like he could see these little details about me I hadn’t even noticed, and we hadn’t even hung out yet. My heart raced, and my stomach twisted.

Why was I freaking outover this?

Just me and my copper platinum hair, and suddenly, I was someone being noticed. Someonehenoticed enough to remember. What was happening? I wasn’t sure if I should feel flattered or scared. What did it mean that he knew something so... personal?

How could something as simple as a comment about my hair send me into this spiral? What did that say about me—about what I was used to? I shook my head, trying to quiet the voices of doubt.

My phone glowed softly in my lap as I messaged him:“Boarding soon. Talk when I land.”

The reply came instantly.Was he waiting for my message?

@mikkelsuarezofficial: Safe travels, Red.

Below his message were a few links. Curious, I clicked one—videos on managing flight anxiety.

I stared at the screen, caught off guard.He remembered.

The PA system crackled overhead, announcing the next boarding call, but I barely heard it. My mind was too busy untangling the what-ifs.

Would we go any further? Did I want u-

“Abigail!”

My heart dropped as I turned to see Joshua striding toward me with a look of sheer desperation. Did he have a flight? How the hell had he gotten this far? In his hand, he clutched a bouquet of lilies.

My stomach churned.

Lilies.

He should’ve known better.

“What are you doing here?”

“Abigail, please, don’t go.” His voice cracked. He thrusted the flowers toward me, and I took an instinctive step back. “We can fix this.I promise.I can be better.”

“This is pathetic,” I said, my irritation barely contained. “I’m allergic to lilies,remember?”

He looked down at them, confusion flashing across his face. “Allergic? But… I thought you loved flowers.”

“Primroses,notlilies.” My voice broke, the mix of frustration, embarrassment and sadness bubbling to the surface.

He dropped the bouquet to the floor, his hands trembling. “I know I messed up. But we can make it work. Just give me another chance. Don’t leave me alone.”

Tears welled up in my eyes as the embarrassment of this encounter washed over me. I had once believed in those chances, but that hope had been shattered too many times. “This is why I’m leaving,” I announced, my voice shaking. “You never listen. You never understand. Everything is always about you.”

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