a month-long business deal when

him, a tangible piece of our shared time. We' d spent a whole summer on it, sanding th

to find it in pieces on

king. "Oops," he' d said. "Guess

sorry! Jake didn' t mean it. His i

ick up the larger pieces, h

fix it, Liam. She knows

my voice hollow. I couldn

fragments in the trash. No attempt to repai

were relentl

f to sleep over that rad

rovoke you. Sarah protec

rotected Jake from

inted years ago, when I first moved in. It was a clumsy attempt at art, a tree with two different types

ing. "His medical equipment, you know. And your r

er. "You can'

mportant for his recov

er own memories, for you. She' s trying to ke

an have the guest room

couch, where he was dramatically clutching his chest.

d. Of cour

maller, darker guest room. T

ing on?" I

y. It made him anxious," she mumbled, av

terile. My last piece of conne

fury. "You let

aid, her voice barely a whisper.

was like a knife in her heart. She did i

she' s willing to erase your sh

e a separate, malicious entity, twisting