The car ride to the venue felt suffocating, the silence pressing heavier than the designer dress Desiree wore. Her father scrolled on his phone, tapping furiously, while her mother was busy adjusting the brooch pinned neatly against her gown every 3 minutes.

Desiree sat wedged between them, fiddling with the hem of her dress, her mind wandering back to exams, assignments, and inevitably, Roman.

Her chest fluttered as the thought of him brushed her mind. Would he be cold again? Pretend like ...