Rachel's eyes met mine, and in that brief moment, an unspoken connection formed between us—an understanding that rippled with the weight of unexpressed feelings. I could see it in her gaze; she had been talking about me and Angel, and my heart ached at the thought of how complicated this had all become. I wished so desperately that I could wrap my arms around her right then, to pull her close and whisper the truth that burned inside me: that she was the one I truly loved. But the thought of her and Angel together stopped me cold.
Angel, who had captured my parents' hopes for the future, was a part of their dreams for me. They had invested so much time, energy, and anticipation into our engagement, and the idea of disappointing them broke my heart just as much as the thought of hurting Rac
