“Do you want the truth?” Hayden’s voice was calm.

“You promised you wouldn’t lie to me,” I replied, bitterness creeping into my tone as I threw his broken promise back at him.

“Kiki, I lied before because I didn’t have a choice,” he said, his eyes locked on mine, clear and unflinching. “But from now on, I swear I’ll never lie to you again.”

I dropped my gaze. “Let’s not talk about the future anymore.”

I forced a faint smile. “Let’s just focus on the present.”

When I was little, my parents painted big dreams of the future for me, but they were gone before any of it could happen. Jace promised me forever, then shattered it. Even Wayne once vowed to always take care of me, only for his love to spiral into something dark and possessive.

And Hayden? He said forever, too-right before almost marrying someone else.