atthew

sickening headline on my

olds. My ado

felt like swallowin

omfort that

s a r

ou done? Do you have any idea what t

augh escap

iancé on our anniversary, did you ask her wh

ce turned sha

The person who saved Carter's life back then w

isible hand had reached i

ho saved Carter

bly be mistaken a

twist the tr

did yo

ce tre

, Carol Reynolds,

was just a

how you repay us? Sienna let you have that honor because sh

es

of

ered tha

water of

gging a cramping Ca

ock, screaming, too afraid of the

ienna, they were

a rage so pure it l

just something Sienna had let me borrow, s

ne wen

, Carter's cal

answer, sayi

laced with a pathetic

told me. She was the one who had her friend call the ambulance. S

was so laughable it

three-year betrayal wi

study, right?" I asked,

he other end was the

ew the phone onto

e sheer scale of the betrayal, wa

lost to

iracy they had all woven to

g the blanket tighter around my sh

t was crumpled in my hand, the

é door

d, clearing his thr

sing now. You'll

where le

fuge was shutting

d up,

could

dn't g

ID, and I didn't wan

afé and stood in the

han, abandoned by

anne pulled up silen

ow glide

stant of the ma

me to pick you up. He said it's not safe for a young wo

light inside the ca

hing about

his car could

ack at the cold, da

ngs get a

en the door

was warm

ated mineral water and then drove in s

t go to

ecure, top-tier apartment building

o a private elevator that we

ors opened, and

y called "M

ar, which softened his sharp edges,

at me, his

ou can stay here tonight. It'

ss eyes, my mind filled wi

elping me? Wha

adable nostalgia in his eyes, before h

something I n

ing you serves a purpose. And th