Love You More By Emily Giffin

CHAPTER 7 Graduation arrived on a warm June night. Floodlights hummed over the football field and folding chairs fanned across the turf beneath a red-and-white stage. Paul was our valedictorian, and I was salutatorian, my GPA just one hundredth of a point shy of his. As I listened to his speech, I felt the sharp … Read more

CHAPTER 6 No matter how hard I tried, Mick’s voice stayed in my head. His words played on a loop until I felt like I was betraying Paul. Every time he reached for my hand, my chest felt hollow, like I was pretending. I knew I had to end things. One Friday after school, we … Read more

CHAPTER 5 Freshman year raced by, and the summer came and went even faster. Before I knew it, we were sophomores, one notch higher in the pecking order. Our weeks were packed with studying and extracurriculars—math team, chemistry club, and peer tutoring. Erin kept winning parts in plays and musicals, and although she never convinced … Read more

CHAPTER 4 One Friday afternoon in mid-December, Mick asked if I was free to get together over the weekend and study for our math exam. “Good idea,” I said. My heart skipped a beat. We’d never seen each other outside of school. “How does Sunday afternoon look?” he asked. “Around three?” “That works,” I said. … Read more

CHAPTER 3 Mick and I grew up just a few cornfields apart, but we didn’t cross paths until our first day of high school, when seven different middle schools converged into one massive freshman class at Arrowhead. Most of the day unspooled exactly as I’d pictured. Many of the faces were unfamiliar, but the dynamic … Read more

CHAPTER 2 It’s five a.m. My favorite hour. New York City is hushed and feels like mine alone. Growing up, I was always the first one downstairs, flipping through workbook pages while Dad showered and Mom coaxed my little brother out of bed. All these years later, I still cram as much into my mornings … Read more

CHAPTER 1 Sometimes I wonder how much of who we are comes from our own choices—and how much is shaped by where we come from. It’s been fifteen years since I left Wisconsin and built something real in New York. But some corners of my life still feel borrowed, like I’m playing dress-up. The Hamptons … Read more