Chapter 1

I got my miracle on Christmas Eve: my vision came back. But I wish with every broken piece of my heart that I was still blind.

I run through the hospital hallway, grinning like crazy. I can't wait to tell my boyfriend and my bestie.

Then I stop cold.

A few nurses are huddled around a phone, scrolling through a post.

“Have you seen this post? It’s blowing up right now.”

“My best friend lost both her parents and her sight overnight. I gave up my job abroad to come back and take care of her with her boyfriend for three years. But I fell in love with him. We've done everything together—carefully, secretly. I know I can't keep doing this. I can't betray her. So I have to leave. If this post gets 100,000 votes for me to go, I'll spend the holidays with him one last time—then fly away and never come back.”

My eyes lock on the profile picture.

It's a photo I took of my bestie. Senior year. I was leaning over a classroom windowsill to catch her from behind.Changed every single one of her profile pictures to that shot.

“Babe,” she said. “I'm keeping this photo until I'm eighty.” Now she's using it while doing something that shatters me.

The votes are split. Blue for “stay and fight for him.” Red for “leave and end this.”

Blue is winning. By ten thousand votes. I stare at the screen. My lungs stop working.

I waited three years for this miracle. I wanted to see again more than anything.

And the first thing I see is this.

A tear drops onto the nurse's phone.

They all look up at me.

“Right? This love triangle is so messed up but also so sad.”

“What would you do? Vote for her to stay with the guy or leave?”

“Honestly? Stay. Who wants to be stuck with a blind girl forever? That life looks miserable. So yeah—team blue.”

My hands won't stop shaking.

They're right. I'm blind. I'm a burden. Of course he's choosing her over me.

Even though my eyes just healed—what right do I have to ask him to come back?

I'm not that selfish.

I swallow the pain and force a smile.

“Yeah,” I say. “You're right. A guy shouldn't be tied down to a blind girl for life. He should be with her best friend. True love deserves a blessing. I vote blue too.”

I turn and walk out the hospital's main doors.

And there they are.

Ethan and Lauren rush toward the entrance. His arms are wrapped tight around her body. Three years changed him—his shoulders are broader now. Safer. She looks prettier than ever, light spilling out of her smile.

It's freezing. He drapes his big coat over her shoulders. They look like something out of a movie.

As they get closer, Lauren tries to pull away from him.

But Ethan pouts. Holds on tighter. Bends down and kisses the corner of her mouth.

She kisses him back hard, then pulls away, breathing fast. Glaring at him.

Like she's saying: She's right there. Be careful.

If I couldn't see, I'd never know.

I push the hurt down and smile.

“Ethan? Lauren? Is that you coming to pick me up?”