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For five years, I secretly dated the Navy SEAL I’d grown up with. Then he announced he was marrying my best friend. I didn’t cry. I didn’t fight him. I just didn’t re-enlist. I moved to a new city and changed my name. I went north, opening a flower shop in Santa Barbara. One day, the bell over the door chimed and an old friend walked in. The moment he saw me, he froze. “You’re alive? Why didn’t you ever call Zane?” He took a step closer. “Do you have any idea he divorced Sofia? He’s been alone this whole time.” I lifted my left hand, showing him the simple gold band on my ring finger. “I’m married now.” The air went still. His eyes kept flicking to something over my shoulder, and a second later, I turned. Zane Vale stood in the doorway, his Navy dress whites stark against the soft colors of the shop. He stared at me, a thunderous look on his face. I couldn’t imagine what he had to be angry about. In five years, Zane had never once been willing to come home to San Diego with me, never willing to meet my parents. Until my mother’s birthday. I’d gone home alone, only to find a wedding invitation lying on the living room coffee table. Groom: Zane Vale. Bride: Sofia Bellini. My mind went blank. I was reaching for my phone to call him when his voice drifted in from the doorway. “Mrs. Ricci, please don’t tell Elara about the wedding just yet.” He sounded relaxed, casual. “You know how she gets. She’s been stuck on me since we were kids.” “If she finds out I’m getting married, she’ll just get upset all over again…” He trailed off. He’d seen me. The easy smile on his face vanished. My mother, oblivious, just beamed at me. “Elara, isn’t it wonderful? Zane is marrying your best friend, Sofia.” She patted the couch beside her. “Now, when are you finally bringing your boyfriend home for us to meet?” I looked straight at Zane, my lips curving into a smile. “He’s dead.” I let the words hang in the air. “He died yesterday.” ... My mother froze. “So suddenly?” “But yesterday, didn’t you say he was called away on an emergency mission?” She frowned. “That he couldn’t come with you, but he’d bought me a birthday gift?” Her words landed like a punch to the gut, squeezing the air from my lungs. She’d known for years that I was in a relationship, just not with whom. All this time, she’d been waiting for me to bring him home. But Zane always said the timing wasn’t right. To keep her from worrying, I’d bought gifts for my parents every year, always signing his name to the card. He had no idea. He had never cared enough to ask. Now, hearing my mother’s words, Zane’s expression flickered. While my mother was still sighing with regret, he crossed the room and lowered his voice so only I could hear. “Sofia’s father was in a bad accident.” “I offered her money, but she wouldn’t take it.” He spoke in clipped, efficient tones. “The only way is to marry her. I can give her the money through a prenup.” He paused. “Don’t make a scene.” “If your mother finds out we dated, she won’t be able to handle it.” “She won’t know,” I said. At least, that’s what I’d thought. It was clear now that the five years between us were something he intended to bury forever. Zane studied me for a few seconds, his tone flat. “Suit yourself.” “But Sofia and I are getting married next week.” “She wants to be the most beautiful bride.” He looked me right in the eye. “You’re her best friend. You’ll help her, right?” His voice was still so gentle, as if nothing had changed. As if he had never held me in the darkness of the barracks, his lips against my ear, whispering that he loved me. “Elara? Zane?” Sofia’s voice preceded her into the room. She walked in smiling, looping her arm through mine as if nothing was wrong. “My mom made a ton of food. She wants us all to come over.” Our three families had always been close, celebrating holidays together like one big unit. To me, Sofia wasn’t just a friend; she was practically a sister. Now, as she looked at me, her expression was flawless. Except for the flicker of fear in her eyes. “You knew I was in love with him,” I murmured, my voice so low only she could hear. “And you had to have known the man I was dating was Zane.” “Sofia, how is this fair?” She stood so close I could feel her tremble. The night before we’d left for basic training, she’d slept over at my house. She’d found my diary and read the whole thing, laughing until she was rolling on my bed, clutching her stomach. When she finally caught her breath, she’d nudged me. “If you love Zane so much, just tell him.” “If you’re too scared, I’ll do it for you.” She’d grinned. “If you two get married, I’m your matchmaker. I better get a seat at the head table.” But now, looking at me, there wasn’t a trace of apology in her eyes. She leaned in, her whisper a ghost against my ear. “Elara, I love him, and he chose me.” “When you two were together, I was genuinely happy for you.” “But I’m the one marrying him now.” “You’re my best friend, my most trusted comrade.” Her grip on my arm tightened. “I know you’ll give us your blessing.”Her words left a sharp, metallic taste in my mouth. Anger, disbelief, and a bitter sense of absurdity churned in my stomach. A hot pressure built behind my eyes, and for a second, the room tilted. My mother must have seen the color drain from my face. “Elara’s not feeling well,” she announced abruptly. “We won’t keep you. We’ll all get together on my birthday.” Zane’s eyes flickered to mine, but he said nothing. He just took Sofia’s hand and led her out the door. My mother was convinced my boyfriend was really dead. After they were gone, she wrapped an arm around my shoulders, her expression etched with worry. “Elara, you’re still so young. You have your whole life ahead of you.” “If he couldn’t marry you, that was his loss.” She squeezed me gently. “You’ll find someone better.” I forced a smile that felt like cracking glass. “I’m fine, Mom.” “Just a little tired. I think I’ll go lie down.” I dragged my suitcase into my bedroom. On the wall, in Zane’s familiar scrawl, were the words he’d written for me years ago: No Easy Day. When I first got to training, the intensity nearly broke me. Zane found out and stayed up all night, outlining the key points for every single assessment. He’d handed me the notes along with that piece of paper. “Idiot,” he’d said, cuffing the back of my head. “If you still can’t pass after this, don’t ever tell anyone you know me.” The meaning was simple. The only easy day was yesterday. Keep going. I passed every assessment and eventually transferred into his special warfare unit. Thinking of what he’d said just minutes ago, I walked over to the wall. I ripped the paper down, tore it cleanly in half, and dropped it in the trash. My eyes landed on a framed photo on my desk. The three of us. It was taken on our first leave after basic training. I was in the middle, with Zane and Sofia both leaning in, smiling. That day, Sofia had nudged me closer to Zane. “This is your shot,” she’d whispered. “If you don’t make a move, someone else will.” I stared at the photo for a few seconds before tossing the entire thing, frame and all, into the trash can. They’d destroyed our friendship. They’d destroyed the trust between us. There was no reason to keep the evidence. I went through my room like a storm, gathering everything that had any connection to them. Military magazines Sofia had left behind. Birthday gifts from Zane over the years. The letter I’d written him when I was eighteen but had never been brave enough to send. That evening, after dinner, I hauled the heavy garbage bag downstairs. “Isn’t that heavy? Why didn’t you call me to help?” Zane’s voice came from behind me. I turned. He was in civilian clothes, hands shoved in his pockets, watching me. In the past, whenever I was too lazy to take out the trash, I’d make him do it. After we started dating, it was a chore I never had to think about. “Not talking? Still mad?” He arched an eyebrow and started toward me, reaching for my hand. I took a deliberate step back. Zane clearly hadn’t expected it. His brow furrowed. I met his gaze, my voice flat. “The whole neighborhood knows you’re getting married.” “We shouldn’t see each other anymore.” Zane looked at me like I’d just told a bad joke. “The marriage is a favor to Sofia. It’s not real.” “We’ll get divorced. It’s just a matter of time.” He shook his head. “Other people might not get it, but you? How can you be taking this seriously?”Before I came home yesterday, I had asked him three times. Should we finally tell my parents about us? He’d just given me that lazy, infuriating smile. “You that desperate for me to meet your parents?” I’d swatted at him, pretending to be annoyed. He caught my hand, pulling me into his arms. “Relax. When the time is right, I’ll tell them myself.” For five years, I had been waiting for that day. I wanted the whole world to know that Elara Ricci was Zane Vale’s girlfriend. The only reason I didn’t make a scene was because I refused to make things any uglier than they already were. And I would not let my parents become the subject of neighborhood gossip because of me. “Zane, Mom’s stomach is acting up. She asked me to get her medicine.” Sofia’s voice cut through the evening air. She walked out of the building with my mother on her arm. “I don’t know which kind she takes. Can you come with me?” Her smile was perfectly natural. When she called my mother “Mom,” it sounded so practiced, so familiar. Zane’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t argue. He just left with her. My mother watched them go, then sighed. “I always thought you and Zane might end up together. I never imagined Sofia was the one he liked.” She shook her head. “Good thing I never pushed it. It would be so awkward for everyone now.” I pressed my lips together, saying nothing. She continued, her voice thoughtful. “When you do start dating again, you should take a page from Sofia’s book.” “No matter how busy Zane gets, whenever her family needs anything, he takes leave and comes right back for her.” She looked at me, a hint of frustration in her eyes. “And then there’s you. I still have no idea who this mystery man of yours was.” “Every year, I begged you to bring him home for one meal, and every year he had a ‘mission.’” I couldn’t really hear what she said after that. A hollow feeling opened up inside me. Every holiday, I’d asked Zane to come home with me. He always had an excuse. “Elara, I just got promoted. Things are crazy with the team.” “I’ll come with you next time, I promise.” He had missions. Training. Exercises. I believed every word. I had never doubted him. But now I knew. Every time he’d said no to me, it was so he could say yes to someone else. “Mom,” I asked, my voice tight, “do they come back together often?” “Oh, yes.” “Just last month, on your birthday, Sofia’s mother fell down the stairs.” “Zane came back just to help out.” She nodded. “He got her the best orthopedic surgeon at the naval hospital and stayed at their house for days to make sure she was okay.” Her words hit me like a physical blow. I remembered my birthday last month. Zane had taken a call, then shoved a gift box into my hands. “Emergency with the team. I have to go in. Might be gone a few days.” He’d kissed my forehead. “Don’t be mad. I’ll make it up to you when I get back.” Before he left, I had asked him, half-joking, half-serious. “What’s more important, the mission or me?” He’d looked at me, his expression unreadable. “Elara, we’re both soldiers. You know better than to ask that kind of question.” I had thought his only choice was between his duty and me. Now I finally understood. There had always been a third option: Sofia.

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