ra

n exercise in agony. My body was a wreck, but the pain was a dull, d

ling department. I had

of the long, steril

asn' t alone. He was holding a cup of juice with a straw for Chanel, who was

ne while his child was dying, was playing nursemaid to

ly, and he moved to shield Chanel,

ice low and wary. "What a

ra, I' m so glad you' re alright. I was so worried. I told Ethan he sh

him, a picture of damse

' m done here, we are going to have a serious talk. You owe Chanel a huge apology.

small, covering a patch of skin that was probably

g pain. The devastating emptiness i

and grief so powerful it nearly

his face and tell him what he had done, what we had lost.

wouldn' t believe me. He

here a second longer, I would break.

I forced my lips into a brittle

, my voice eerily calm.

k by my compliance. He

"Go back to your room and wait for me. I' ll be the

for

in the empty sp

home for dinner. He' d never

can next week, I promise. He' d cancele

me five chances to prove I c

' d finally decided to stop waiting. When he' d knelt for he

han' s voice cut through my th

ention shifting to her slightest whimper. "Do

n. In front of me,

Like the sky is blue, and the sun rises in the ea

" I wh

y surrender. Not to h

r him. Not in that

ack straight, my steps slow bu

I handed over my personal credit card-one he didn't know I had-a

asked, her face creased with concern. "You' ve just

fine,"

, showed me more concern than my own husban

I didn't cry. I just stared at the ceiling, feeling the life

ame. He ne

hing her juice, listening to her endless complaints about her "terrible injury.

n spark anger anymore.