The night before the university applications were due, the senior class group chat exploded. Holy shit, Terry, why did you switch your application to the UK? I thought you and Ava were set on Paris. Terry’s reply was casual, almost lazy. I switched. So what? She has my login info anyway. He followed it up with a smirk I could feel through the screen. She’ll see I changed it and she’ll follow me. That little shadow can’t live without me.

Chapter 6

The next morning, I woke up to dozens of missed calls and angry texts.

I ignored them.

I packed my suitcase for Paris and called my mom to tell her the news. She hugged me, tears in her eyes.

“I’m so proud of you, sweetie,” she said. “You’ve always been stronger than you think.”

Later, I ran into Ethan at the campus café.

“Heard you stuck with Paris,” he said, smiling.

“Yeah,” I replied. “I did.”

“Good,” he said. “It’s where you belong.”

Weeks later, I got my acceptance letter. I cried happy tears.

Paris was everything I’d dreamed of.

I made new friends, joined a photography club, and spent weekends exploring the city. I didn’t hear from Terry for months.

Then one day, a text.

Ava, it’s Terry. Can we talk?

I stared at it, torn, but finally replied.

What do you want?

He called immediately. His voice was quieter now.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “For everything. For treating you like garbage. For throwing away our dream. For choosing Rachel. I was an idiot.”

I said nothing.

“Rachel and I broke up,” he continued. “She wasn’t who I thought she was. She lied about everything. I let her use me. I let her hurt you.”

He paused.

“I checked the portal after you closed the window. I saw you didn’t change it. That’s when I realized I’d lost you for good.”

“Why tell me this now?” I asked.

“Because I need you to know I get it. You were right. I treated you like a shadow. You deserved someone who would choose you every time.”

I felt a twinge of sadness, not for him, but for the boy he used to be.

“I accept your apology,” I said. “But Terry, I’m not going back. Paris is my home now. I’m happy here.”

“I know,” he said softly. “I just needed to say it. To let you go.”

We hung up.

I looked out my window at the Eiffel Tower, and for the first time, I felt no regret.

I had made the right choice.

Six months later, I was in a bookstore when I heard a familiar voice.

Rachel.

She looked different. Simpler. Sincere.

“Hi, Ava,” she said.

“Hi, Rachel.”

She sighed. “I owe you an apology for everything. I was scared back then—scared no one would like me for who I was. So I made up that story. And Terry… he wanted to be the hero.”

She looked away.

“I broke up with him because I realized I was using him. And he deserved better, just like you did.”

I studied her face.

There was no deceit left.

Only honesty.