The Boy I Left Behind

ZemiHe was the invisible boy in high school who became my world; a world he shattered when he left me at a time when I needed him most. Twelve years later, still reeling from the loss of the babies we never wanted, I run into Kofi at a bar and all the pain comes rushing back, but so does the love. How can I still want him after what he did to me, and why does it matter when I'm weeks away from marrying another man? Then my life falls apart again and Kofi is there for me.
This time he's not leaving, but I'm once bitten and twice shy, and though the boy had become a man, I was still too wounded to trust him. KofiShe was the popular girl in high school who never noticed me until I shared my umbrella one rainy day. Loving and protecting Zemi became more important than the objections of our families and my vow to never give my heart to anyone. My fear of love was validated when Zemi betrayed me, and that first cut was so deep that it shattered my soul forever.
Now more than a decade later, she's back in my life and the fire is still there, mere embers that flare every time I see her. I should walk away because I know how badly she burns, but she needs me, and once again, protecting Zemi is more important than protecting myself.