SHE SAID "NO" TO HIS PROPOSAL

Three Years Ago...

Luna's eyes roamed the packed auditorium, scanning for Greg, heart pounding with anticipation. She clutched a carefully wrapped gift in her hands, eager to see the surprise on his face. After all his late nights and relentless study, he'd finally earned his master's degree. She couldn't wait to tell him how proud she was.

Just as she pulled out her phone to text him, the lively graduation music faded, replaced by a soft, romantic melody that spread through the room like a spell. The lights dimmed, casting a warm, intimate glow over the space. Luna blinked, momentarily puzzled. Something was happening—something she hadn't expected.

Before she could make sense of it, she looked up and saw him—Greg—walking toward her, a radiant smile on his face and an enormous bouquet of red roses in his arms. Her heart gave an unexpected lurch. She'd teased him before about how she didn't care for bouquets, preferring something enduring like a potted plant they could nurture together. Why the flowers? Why now?

Greg stopped in front of her, his eyes bright with an emotion she didn't quite understand. Taking a steadying breath, he began, voice thick with nerves. "Luna," he said softly, his gaze never leaving hers, "I've dreamed of this moment for so long. You don't know how much I've prayed for it."

He paused, his hand trembling slightly. "You are my happiness, Luna. Every day with you, I find myself falling even more in love. This love isn't perfect, but it's real, and I want to spend my life making you as happy as you make me."

And then, in one fluid motion, he knelt down on one knee, his hand reaching out to her, a glistening ring in his fingers. Her heart stopped. Everything around her blurred—her friends, the music, even the flowers in his hand—as her mind reeled.

"Will you marry me?"

The words hung in the air, heavy with hope and vulnerability. Luna's mouth went dry, and for a split second, she felt the weight of the entire room's gaze on her. The dimmed lights, the love song, the roses—it was all so perfect, so breathtakingly beautiful... and so profoundly wrong.

A wave of panic crashed over her, icy and unyielding. Her life felt like it was just beginning, full of dreams still taking shape. She hadn't planned for this—not marriage, not yet. As she looked at Greg's hopeful face, her heart splintered under the crushing guilt.

Her throat tightened, the words tangling there as she tried to speak. But there were no words that could make this easier, nothing she could say to take away the hurt she was about to cause. She felt the prickle of tears, her vision blurring as her lips parted.

"Greg..." Her voice was barely a whisper, each syllable trembling. She forced herself to meet his gaze, her heart twisting with regret. "I... I can't."

The words slipped out, and the heartbreak in Greg's eyes was like a punch to her chest. Tears spilled down her cheeks, and her voice broke as she tried to apologize, but the sorrow in his expression silenced her. Desperation clawed at her as she stepped back, her body moving on instinct.

She turned, her legs unsteady, and before she could stop herself, she was running—escaping the auditorium, fleeing from the moment that had shattered both their hearts. Behind her, Greg's face lingered in her mind, his shattered expression etched into her memory.

But Luna couldn't look back. The future she wanted was still out there—unformed, uncertain, and out of reach. And in that moment, she realized she didn't know if she'd ever be ready for the life he dreamed of.