Who Breaks First​

The year our love burned brightest was when Asher died.

They said it was a car crash. Everyone expected me to shatter—but I didn’t cry or scream.

Two years later, I walked into a private lounge and found him alive, kissing a girl like he was starved for air.

His friends rushed to explain: “Elara, after the accident… he was in a coma. He lost his memory. We didn’t want you to worry.”

Asher pushed the girl away and frowned at me. “So you’re my fiancée? I don’t remember, but I’ll honor our engagement.”

I smiled softly. “They’re lying to you. We’ve never met.”

What he didn’t know:

On the day he “died,” I received a video. He was laughing with friends. “I can’t stand being tied to one woman,” he said. “I’ll fake my death. You guys comfort her.”

He also didn’t know—in those two years, I’d found someone else.

1

My friends stood frozen for a beat before a chorus of concerned voices washed over me.

"Elara, how can you say you don't know him? We're the ones who kept it from you, it has nothing to do with Asher!"

"Yeah, Elara, we were just trying to protect you! He's finally awake, don't throw a tantrum now."

The air in the room thickened with their accusations. Before I could respond, a dry chuckle cut through the noise.

Asher rose from the couch, a cigarette dangling between his fingers, his posture radiating a lazy confidence. "Well, if we don't know each other, then that's that. Saves me the trouble."

The girl at his side instantly clung to his arm, her face a picture of shy, nervous adoration. "Asher… I know you. She doesn't appreciate you, but… but I'll marry you, okay?"

Asher didn't answer her. His gaze flickered to me, a cool, appraising look. Then, he wrapped an arm around the girl's waist, leaned in, and captured her lips in a deep kiss.

My friends immediately formed a wall, blocking my view as if to shield me.

"Elara, he has amnesia," one of them soothed. "You know he used to love you more than anything."

"She's right. You need to be there for him, help him remember. This isn't the time for games."

I opened my mouth to say something—anything—to these so-called friends, but a sharp, cramping pain lanced through my abdomen. The color drained from my face. Without another word, I turned on my heel and walked out of the lounge.

I moved so quickly that no one had time to react. It was only after I had vanished down the hall that they turned back to Asher with a collective sigh.

"Man, you took it too far. Elara's genuinely pissed. Her face was white as a sheet. What if she really leaves you for good?"

A self-satisfied smile played on Asher’s lips as he settled back onto the sofa. "Elara's easy. It's been two years, you think she doesn't miss me? Besides, I have the perfect excuse now. Amnesia. Once I've had my fun, I’ll just tell her my memory's back, that none of this was the real me. I won't even have to apologize. She'll come running back with a snap of my fingers."

2

Once I was out of the lounge, my legs gave out. I collapsed against the wall, a ...