FAZER LOGINARIELLA "No," I said shaking my head. "I am not doing it anymore." "You barely started," Asher said. "I'm finished." "You ran for three minutes." "It felt like two years." Leon laughed so hard he nearly fell over. "Mom." "No." "Mom." "No. No, no." "You look and sound exactly like Leon wh
ASHER "I think... yeah. I mean, I guess someone who can help me deal with this. Give me ways to deal with this." Ariella explained herself. I tightened my hold on her hands. "I'm here." She looked at me. "Nobody deserves your thoughts. Nobody deserves your truth. Nobody deserves you more than
ASHER Ariella had the right connections to get whatever drugs she could pump into herself if she wanted to. She had the means to do it, and I wasn’t going to let her. “It’s gotta stop,” I told her point-blank without sugar coating it. She narrowed her eyes at me. “I know about your little alcoh
ASHER I stayed patient... or at least I tried. Finding out about the alcohol was the moment that really terrified me. Because Ariella wasn’t like that, she wasn’t reckless and she barely drank unless it was socially, and even then she never lost control of herself. But grief changes people. Loss
ASHER As soon as Leon disappeared, the room became quieter. I slipped my hands into my pockets. “How is he doing?” I asked. Sia’s face softened immediately. “He’s doing great,” she said honestly. “Just as he said himself. If he keeps progressing like this, I’ll contact the school so he can sit
ASHER Luca nodded once. I stood up slowly and walked toward the window overlooking the estate. "We can still pull Fabio in and make him spill everything the hard way." He said. “I want Fabio comfortable,” I responded. “I want him to believe we know nothing. The second he gets nervous, he’ll eith
ASHER I ground my teeth. “That was romantic, by the way,” he added with a smirk. “Who takes their mistress on a vacation like that? The pictures… you looked like a couple in love. Engaged. Married, even... Beautiful.” He laughed. I didn’t. “I cried a little,” he said, with that damn grin. “Not f
Still, the silence between us lingered long enough for me to break it. “I’ve seen you around… You live next door, right?” I asked “Yup. That modern grey house that looks like it’s judging the rest of the street.” I chuckled. “It’s beautiful. Do they pay teachers that well here?” Dana burst out l
Anyway, so with my interaction with Dana, and with all this time and all this space and everything in between, I made a decision. I was going to go back to college l. I never got to go to college. I did go to college that first year, but then, as we know, I dropped out. But I wanted to go back aga
I nod, swallowing down the bitterness. “Okay… so what now? We just wait here until Leon comes? I thought you were going to get him.” “Yeah, I’m not staying here,” he replies, turning toward the door. “You’re leaving me here?” I ask, glancing around the cold, uninviting apartment. He tilts his hea







