LOGINKelvin clenched his jaw tightly.“No.”“Good.”Kelvin looked up and said, “I have no intention of hurting her.”“You already are,” Finn adjusted his cuffs. “You just don't know it yet.”Kelvin remembered the small stick resting inside his pocket. He pictured the two dark lines and Karen looking pale, and terrified back in that bathroom.I am well aware of the pain I am causing her. And I plan to fix it.He answered inwardly, and kept all those thoughts to himself. He simply gave a single nod, turned around, and headed toward the front door.“Kelv.”He stopped with his hand resting on the latch.“I would really hate losing you over a misunderstanding,” Finn murmured quietly. “We have come too far together.”Kelvin knew it was a threat but he did not respond. He stepped outside into the chilly evening, climbed into his car, and squeezed the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white.Next he pulled the test out from his pocket.The pair of lines remained visible just as before. They
Karen didn't see him move.Kelvin stood in the doorway of the bathroom holding the test kit, and a second later the stick disappeared inside his jacket pocket. He bent down, grabbed the tissue and the two closed boxes from the cabinet, crammed them all inside his pocket too, and kicked the door shut. That entire sequence lasted maybe three seconds.He looked up at her.His face showed no shock, no anger, and none of the guilt she anticipated. Instead, he wore an expression she had never noticed on him before, which felt intense.I've got you, the look communicated.“Karen?” Finn's footsteps sounded on the landing. “Are you up here?”She rushed to the sink and cranked the faucet wide open, hoping the rushing water would hide the sound of her pounding heart. Kelvin retreated into the bedroom, grabbed the button she had ripped off his shirt, and fumbled with another button that hung by a single thread.The bedroom door swung open.“There you are.” Finn spoke in a relaxed, nearly warm ton
For a moment, neither of them moved.Kelvin sat with his elbows on his knees, his hands loosely clasped, still wearing the same dark jacket he'd had on when he left. The lamp lit one side of his face and cast the other in shadows, making him look like someone who'd been waiting a long time without realizing how exhausted he was."What are you doing in my room?" Karen asked.“I forgot something.”"You forgot something," Karen repeated. "Yes."“In my room?”He didn't answer.She stepped inside and shut the door behind her, mostly to keep the housekeeper from hearing anything."Get out, Kelvin," Karen said firmly."You've been avoiding me," Kelvin said."You moved out," Karen said. "You said it should stay a dream. You said it was a mistake. You said you'd leave the house to make things easier for me. I didn't ask you to do any of that.""No, you didn't," Kelvin agreed. "But you didn't ask me to stay either."“How could I?” Karen's face flushed with anger. "You're Finn's best friend. I'
Kelvin realized he had forgotten his watch. This was the first time it had happened. He was standing in the doorway of the house he'd stayed with Finn when he mentioned it to the housekeeper. The housekeeper replied, "Miss Karen is out, sir." Kelvin then said, "That's okay, I'll just get it." He quickly found the watch on a shelf in the guest room where he had intentionally left it.The next time, Kelvin forgot his charger. The third time, he forgot a jacket he hadn't worn in a while. The fourth time, he forgot a book he had never even opened. Each time, the housekeeper gave the same response: "Miss Karen is out." Kelvin had moved out of Finn's house six days ago. He knew it was the right thing to do, but the words had lost their meaning because he had said them so many times. He was trying to convince himself it was the right decision, but it didn't feel that way. It was a mistake. We were both drunk. It should stay a dream.He'd said it in the car, and she'd looked at him as i
Serena's POVThe specialist sat in the living room waiting for us. She had a leather case on her lap and her pen was already ready.She was a small, energetic woman in her fifties with some gray hair. She wore a sari that looked like faded pink flowers. When I walked in, she stood up and looked at me for three seconds. Then said, “You look even prettier in person, Miss Cole.”“Hello to you too.” I replied with a smile on my face."Dr. Rao." She smiled as she introduced herself. "Please sit, Miss Cole. Mr. Vance, please have a seat as well.”Elliot was standing by the window and did not say anything. He had been at the house when I got there. His jacket was off and his sleeves were rolled up. He looked me over once, as if checking a package for damage."We'll discuss the station later," was all he said.I sat down.The check-up lasted one hour. Dr. Rao asked the same questions I had already answered many times in Dr. Layla's office. She asked about my cycle, my past, my medicine, and h
Serena's POVThe phone rang again.I was standing in the station hallway, my hand still resting on the door frame. I watched my bodyguard pull out his phone. His face stayed the same, but he checked the screen a bit longer than usual."Mr. Vance, ma'am.""I figured.""This is his twelfth call since morning."I looked at him. "Twelfth?""Yes, ma'am." He handed me the phone. "The first one came at six."The commissioner was standing a few steps back, acting like he was not listening. I took the phone, turned my back to him, and walked out of the station before I picked up."Where are you?"No hello.Elliot spoke in a low, flat voice that was so controlled that I knew he was not calm."Out.""I can see that. That is why I am asking where.""You already know where."Silence. Then, "Someone sent me a photo.""Of what?""Of my fiancée walking into the central police station with a limp and a bodyguard, without telling me." Another silence. "It has been shared eleven thousand times in forty







