When 17-year-old Rune returns to Blossom Grove, he’s desperate to know why Poppy—the girl he loved and who promised to wait—suddenly stopped talking to him. Her silence broke his heart. But when he finally learns the truth, Rune realizes the pain he’s felt is nothing compared to what’s coming next. What secret could hurt more than goodbye?
Why did they have to do that? Why did I have to see that? I drove and drove, pushing the speed limit, but couldn’t stop my hands from shaking. Was this what he’d felt like when he’d roared down the road? When he’d done what he did? My blood trickled down my arm. My knuckles…
I pressed a kiss to my fingers, then placed them on the headstone. It was warm under my hand from the sun that always spotlighted in this grove, letting the world know that someone truly beautiful resided here. I peered down and saw a photograph stuck to the bottom of the headstone. Tears pricked my…
Taking a deep breath, I explained, “Because Poppymin was just like the cherry blossom, Alt. She only had a short life, like they do, but the beauty that she brought in that time will never ever be forgotten. Because nothing so beautiful can last forever. She was a blossom petal, a butterfly … a shooting…
Then it hit me. I realized why all of this felt so real. My heart beat faster in my chest. Because if it was real … if I had judged this correctly… “Poppymin?” I asked and took a deep breath. “This isn’t a dream … is it?” Poppy shifted to kneel before me and placed…
Lifting her thin, frail hands, Poppy held one out for each of us to hold. I closed my eyes when I felt how cold she was, how weak her grip was now. “I love you, Poppy,” Ida whispered. I opened my eyes and fought not to fall to the floor as Ida laid her head…
I was utterly exhausted. My body trembled for what felt like an age, heart sputtering and lurching until I felt my lungs begin to loosen, my windpipe finally granting my body the oxygen it so badly craved. I inhaled through my nose and out through my mouth until I sagged farther into the tree, the…
“Rune!” The sound of Ida’s loud call brought me back to the here-and-now. I smiled as she ran through the crowd, only stopping when she plowed into my chest and wrapped her arms around my waist. I laughed when she looked up at me. For a minute I saw Poppy in her young face. Her…
Lowering myself to her mouth, I pressed the softest, most meaningful kiss to her soft lips. Poppy breathed out through her nose, her sweet scent engulfing me … and she never breathed again. Reluctantly pulling back, I opened my eyes, now witnessing Poppy in eternal sleep. She was as beautiful now as ever she was…
In the box there will be another large envelope. Please open it now, then I will explain. My heart raced as I gently placed Poppy’s letter on my bed. With shaking hands, I reached into the box and pulled out the large envelope. Needing to see what she had done, I quickly broke the seal.…
I know right now you are confused, but before I let you go, I need you to know something. Being loved by you was the biggest accomplishment of my life. I didn’t have long and I had nowhere near enough time to be with you how I wanted. But in those years, in my final…