It’s been years since Veronica left—since I told her to leave—but I’ve envied every man who’s touched her since me. Hell, I’ve hated them. Hated myself even more because it wasn’t supposed to be this way. I wasn’t supposed to stop trusting myself around her. I wasn’t supposed to love her because we were f*cked before we ever had a chance. Our truth is ugly. So twisted and wrong that I would do anything to protect her from it. I have done anything. So I’ll let her keep hating me and I’ll keep pretending we’re nothing. But Veronica … she was everything. It’s been years since she was mine, and she still is.