Chapter 2: Back to Before the Fall

I glanced down, suddenly aware of how silly I must look, mooning over someone else’s love story.

My finger froze mid-scroll, and my nose stung a little.

I tried to laugh it off, but my chest felt tight. I know it was stupid to let his words get to me, but they did. Maybe because he was right.

Ever since I was a kid, I’d had a secret crush on my childhood friend, Zachary West.

Zachary West. He was the golden boy—always the first to get picked for kickball, the one who helped me with my homework and made me laugh until I cried. I still remembered the way his hair stuck up in the back. He’d sneak me extra cookies from his lunchbox.

But I was always too scared to tell him. Afraid that if he didn’t feel the same, I’d lose him as a friend, too.

I’d rehearse what I wanted to say a hundred times, but the words always died in my throat. I figured it was better to have him as a friend than not at all. Now, looking back... I wasn’t so sure.

Then, five years ago, Zach left without a word and took a job overseas.

He just disappeared—no goodbye, no explanation. I stalked his Instagram for months, hoping for a sign, but all I got were blurry photos of new cities and strangers’ faces. It hurt more than I wanted to admit.

After my family lost everything, I ended up marrying Lucas Ellery, who already had someone else on his mind.

Our wedding was small and quiet, held in the backyard because we couldn’t afford anything else. He looked like he was somewhere else the whole time, and honestly, so was I. We were both running from something. Somehow, we ran straight into each other.

And just like that, ten years of secret love went up in smoke.

There was a moment—just a beat—where I realized it was like someone had set fire to all my old dreams and left nothing but ashes. I tried to convince myself I’d moved on, but some nights, the ache was still there, dull and familiar.

The more I thought about it, the sadder I felt.

I got up, planning to head to my room and sleep it off.

My feet dragged as I crossed the living room. I didn’t even bother saying goodnight. I just needed to disappear for a while. Hide under the covers, maybe cry into my pillow until the world felt less heavy.

As I passed Lucas, my frustration boiled over. I shot him a look, half daring him to say something.

I couldn’t help myself. I nudged his wheelchair with my foot. “Unlike some people who keep chasing after their wives, now you can’t even stand up.”

It was a low blow, and I knew it. But the words slipped out before I could stop them. I braced myself for the fallout, feeling both guilty and weirdly relieved.

“You!”

For a split second, I watched his face, waiting for his reaction.

Lucas’s face darkened instantly.

His jaw clenched. There was a beat where I thought he might actually yell. But he just stared at me, eyes flashing. It was the same look he gave boardroom rivals—cold, unblinking, like he was sizing me up for a fight.

In the three years I’d been married to Lucas, the only place we ever agreed was under the covers.

It was the one space where words didn’t matter, where we could forget about everything else, even if just for a little while. Sometimes, I wondered if that was the only real part of us.

Seeing him speechless, my mood lifted a bit.

There was a petty satisfaction in getting the last word. I smirked to myself, feeling a little lighter as I climbed the stairs.

Even my dreams felt lighter that night.

I drifted off quickly, the tension melting away. For the first time in weeks, I didn’t wake up with my heart pounding or my mind racing. Just soft darkness and the quiet hum of the city outside.

I don’t know how long I’d been asleep when I felt someone gently bump my arm.

I groaned, half-awake, and rolled over.

My head felt fuzzy, like I’d slept too long or not enough.

I frowned, my voice cranky. “Lucas, just leave me alone tonight, okay?”

I didn’t even open my eyes. I just wanted five more minutes of peace.

Suddenly, laughter exploded by my ear.

It was loud and bright, the kind of laugh that fills a room and makes everyone turn.

“Haha! Savannah fell asleep in class and got all scrambled, huh?”

Someone nudged my shoulder, and I blinked, trying to get my bearings. The voices around me sounded younger, lighter.

“Looks like the rumor on the school message board is true. She’s got it so bad for Lucas Ellery she’s losing her mind.”

A chorus of giggles followed. My cheeks burned. I hadn’t felt this embarrassed since, well, high school.

“Yeah, she was bawling last week, and now she’s talking nonsense again.”

I rubbed my eyes, finally looking around. The classroom was packed, sunlight streaming through the windows. I caught a glimpse of my old desk, the one with my initials carved underneath.

Class? Message board? What the heck?

My heart thudded as I took it all in—the faded chalkboard, the rows of desks, the smell of cheap perfume and pencil shavings. It was all so familiar it hurt.

I opened my eyes, still groggy, and saw Lucas Ellery in a school uniform.

He looked so different—no wheelchair, no hardened lines on his face. Just a lanky teenager with too-long bangs and a shy smile. My stomach did a weird flip.

His pale face was flushed.

For a second, I caught his eyes darting away. He looked embarrassed, maybe even a little annoyed. I couldn’t blame him. I’d just called out his name in my sleep, in front of half the class.

It wasn’t until the teacher tossed me out of the classroom to stand in the hallway that I realized—

I’d… gone back in time!