arted walking back towards us. H

e," he w

pretended to trip, grabbing onto me as he fell. Hi

riented, sinking. Through the blurry water, I saw Eleanor's

I thought, She'

ldn't swim, the man who was actually drowning. She was looking a

c wasn't

g that settled in my gut, draggi

p, angry pulse. My body curled in on itself, an involuntary reaction to the a

m grabbing me, pulling me up. It wasn't H

king. I looked up. Eleanor was fussing over Hudson, wrapping him in a to

inging me soup, fluffing my pillows, reading to me for hours. It had all been

ere rough. One of them forced a wetsuit ove

er to where Eleano

er arm. He was putting on the performance of a lifetime. "H

ith manufactured horror. Then she turn

er voice dangerously quiet. "W

usation. She had alread

spy. "Do you really think... afte

tered. I saw a flicke

his voice trembling. "I'm not safe here." He mad

ubtful to stone cold in an instant. She reached

to be taught a lesson," she said, her voice

i-shark cage they

e boat. I was shaking,

of the guards said as he shoved me into t

me into a world of bars and shadows.

to circle. Sharks.

enclosed spaces. And I'm terrified of water. Eleanor knew this. She knew a

as using them

t night, after a nightmare. I'll never l

ng me. She was the mo

mped against the bars. Tears streamed down my face, lost in the seawater that filled the

hing boat had spotted the cage. The fishermen pulled me out, just a

uiet nights we spent reading side-by-side. The way she smiled when I

on't love you, the dream-Eleanor said. I never did. I reache

s. I was in a bed. In a room on the yacht. T

He was wearing one of my silk robes. There w

pain was so deep it

bad." He tossed a folder onto the bed. "

signature, elegant and firm, was

tand. My hand was steady. I signed

atching the papers. He walk

nd cried. Silent tears that

g. In five years, in that grand house, I had accumulated very little that

r home. It was rusted now. I held it in my hand, along with my simple go

u think you

mp. She was standing in th

" she demanded. "Do you need anoth

ed. So incre

like steel. "Get in the car

hy

me out of the room. "And you are going t