Of all the things I wasn’t ready for, hearing about her was the biggest. I’d have to face the truth eventually, but not today. Any day but today. I was already a loose cannon, and just the sound of her name was enough to make me lose my shit. I couldn’t. Not yet. I’d lost my freedom, my career aspirations, my time, even my dignity. But none of that compared to the pain of losing her. Not even close. I’d loved her with everything I had, and I’d never get that back.
