LOGIN“Not yet,” Adrian replies. “She’s got a lot going on right now, but once things settle, I’ll tell her… I’m not about to let her slip through my fingers.”His words land heavier than they should. It’s just a simple confession, but it hits me like a two-edged blade, slicing somewhere in my heart.I do
NOAH.I’m sitting across from Adrian and Gunner, my mind still reeling from the hard truth they just hit me with.I can’t deny it. Back then, I would’ve shut down anyone who dared to speak against Chloe. I would’ve defended her without question. But now, after reading that entry, after the illusion
He studies me, waiting for the rest.“I kept my mouth shut because you were happy,” I continue. “And it wasn’t my place to blow up your marriage just because I thought she was two-faced.”His jaw tightens and silence settles over the table, but for once, Noah actually listens instead of snapping bac
ADRIAN.I walk into the private whiskey lounge after dropping Sierra at home, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t still riding that high, especially when I remember her beautiful smile.This has been our favorite place for years. Inside, warm amber light washes over dark mahogany walls and deep leat
“Inhale through your nose,” she continues. “Slowly. Deeply. Let your ribs expand.”I breathe in.“For four… three… two… one. Hold. And release.”The room fills with the sound of synchronized exhaling and honestly, it’s strangely powerful.We move through gentle stretches, supported child’s pose with
Then I see it. A low, cream-colored building tucked into the greenery. Large windows. Wooden accents. A stone pathway leading up to double glass doors. There’s a small wooden sign near the entrance with delicate script burned into it.Willow Grove Prenatal Wellness.I blink at it.“Adrian…”He parks
Eventually, I stopped trying. Let her believe whatever made her feel better about herself. I no longer cared.“Jocely!” Benji growls, anger boiling in his voice.“It’s o…” I don’t get to finish.My stomach drops. All of a sudden, the world tilts violently and then everything goes black.***The shar
I stare up at the imposing building before me, and my heart drops to the bottom of my feet. It’s pounding so hard, and I’m so anxious I can barely breathe.I honestly don’t think I’ve ever been this nervous. I’ve always carried myself with a quiet kind of confidence, a slow-burning certainty that wh
I pull my arm from his hand and take a step back.“I promised Aunt Ava I’d find you, and I did,” I say, my words coming out sluggishly. “Now I’m going home.”I don’t give him a chance to reply. I turn away, my steps slow and wobbly, but I keep moving.I can feel the danger in the air around us. The
The table is alive with noise. Nolan’s telling some wild story about his soccer practice, Nova interrupting every other sentence to “correct” him, and my sisters are laughing their asses off.I try to listen, I really do, but my mom’s voice from earlier still pulses in my ears.The words are like a







