Blood on the Snow, A Lost Life

Carter had given my grandmother's heirloom

him, he slapped

logize to Carmen for upsetting her. The stress and his violence tri

g the snow. He was too busy comforting

ight and neve

and a successful bakery, he showed up on my

at my feet, begging for a forg

pte

itself, but the way it dangled, an intimate secret now openly displayed, that ripped through six years of my devotion like a blunt knife. My hands shook as I ca

a familiar warmth that suddenly felt alien. My heart, a loyal s

of his shoulders too relaxed for a man who had just crushed my world

cognizable. I set the pie down on the polished dinin

something I couldn't quite place-guilt, maybe, or annoyance. "Yeah, just

clenched.

ntly on the sleek phone. "Yeah, she's having a rough night

er in my throat. I watched his face, searching for

ed to slide right over me. "Just... her stability bonus. And a

he locket seemed to pulse with

, can we not do this tonight? It's been a

locket, Carter. That locket was s

of jewelry, Haven. A token. Carmen n

eirloom. The one that belonged to my grandmother. T

one. A real diamond one. How much do you want? Name your price." He

r! You can't put a price on us!" My v

hat stripped away years of shared laughter and dreams. "There is no 'us' when you're acting l

world tilted. "Tonig

thick wad of bills appearing as if by magic. He threw them onto the table. "Take this.

tti. My vision blurred, the room spinn

rmen when you see her next. You've really upset her

for the door. "I'll be back when you' ve calme

anced through my abdomen, and my legs buckled. I clutched at the dining table, the edge digging into my ribs. The room swayed. I looked down, and a dark, crimson stain bloomed on the p