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BAILEE EIGHT YEARS AGO (Sixteen years old) “If it isn’t Baby Evans!” Jacob mocked, pulling on a chunk of my hair and jerking my head back. “Ow!” I snapped, spinning around to swat his hand away. “Leave me alone!” “So touchy! What’s wrong, Baby Evans? I thought you liked getting your hair pulled. I've heard all about you.” Jacob said, grabbing a fist full and yanking on my hair again, this time forcing me back so far that I stumbled, crashing into a warm body. “Let her go,” The deep, familiar voice made me tense, but as his arms wrapped around me, I froze. “Come on, Xander!” Jacob laughed, grabbing the strap to my backpack and tugging on it. “Lighten up. Ben’s not here, and she’s not your sister. I’m just having a little fun.” “Don’t fucking call me that, and get your hands off her!” Alexander growled, and my hands grabbed his sides to hold myself up as Jacob gave one last tug on the strap. Ben’s friends hadn’t always bothered me, not until I hit puberty a few years ago,
BAILEEHe was nowhere to be found for the rest of the day, and after dinner that night, I walked down to the docks and dangled my feet into the water. It wasn’t long before I heard footsteps on the wooden planks behind me. The hair rose on the back of my neck, and tingles of nerves shot through my skin as Alex approached and kicked off his shoes to join me. “Are you okay?” He asked, sitting next to me, his thigh touching mine. “Were you suspended?” I whispered, guilt flooding through me at the thought because I knew how hard he was working to better his life since his dad had been sent to prison. I had overheard him telling Ben about his plans to get into a law school, and this could ruin that. Alex let out a bitter laugh before sighing. “Yeah.” “Are your foster parents angry?” “Don’t worry about me, Bailee. I can handle it. I wanted to make sure you were okay.” He hadn’t answered my question directly, so I knew that was a yes. “Me? I wasn’t the one in a fight today!” I ex
BAILEE It had taken several days for Brinley’s fever to break and a few more for me to feel comfortable enough to send her to daycare. I had resisted when Caleb demanded we get a nanny instead of sending Brinley to daycare, but I lost that argument. Now, I finally had the chance to do what I
“You were on a dream vacation with your boyfriend, expecting your own ring and happily ever after. I wasn’t going to dampen your excitement over your future with my drama!” I exclaimed, hearing the bell chime from the front of the store. I always had two employees working up there, so I ignored it
BAILEE By the time I got into the car to end my day, I was hot and sweaty. My hair was sticking to my face, and my shirt was uncomfortably damp from walking the giant bouquets of roses up and down the street, giving them to other businesses. Twenty-Six. He had sent me twenty-six bouquets.
BAILEE I had just put Brinley down in her new bed when I heard voices downstairs. My back went rigid, and the hairs on my arms stood in terror as I scanned my surroundings for something I could use as a weapon. Only the hallway was bare except for a few picture frames. There was nothing for me to
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “Some loser sent them to me. I’ll throw them away tomorrow. Just like I did with all the others.” Alex’s face hardened, the muscle above his jaw flexing as he pressed his teeth together. “Others? Is some guy harassing you?” Ben asked, looking angry, but he relaxed
ALEXANDER “I need a favor!” Ben exclaimed, storming into my office with a smiling Brinley in tow. She had purple paint all over her face in the shape of a butterfly, and her hair looked like she had been attacked by a second-grade classroom with unlimited access to colorful ponytails and clips.
HAVEN “She will be fine. I promise.” Bonnie said as I brushed the hair over Siri’s cheek to get it out of her face while she fought the urge to fall asleep on the break room couch. “I know she will. You are a good aunt. I’m not worried about leaving her with you.” I said, forcing a smile at my bes
BEN “Come on, you have to see they are related. Whatever happened that night must have triggered the restraining order nonsense.” Mason said, and I could see he was pushing for more information. “Nothing bad happened that night.” I insisted, pushing off my knees to stand and pausing when there wa
BEN “You’re not serious,” I said breathlessly, glancing at Haven’s tablet on the couch next to me as if it were her. “Deadly serious,” Mason said, and I watched as the court record pulled up on the computer screen. Right before me were our names, with me as the prosecution and Haven as the defen
BEN The tablet in my hand almost connected with the floor as I stared between the closing elevator doors and the little girl in Haven’s arms. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that she was Siri. The protective way Haven was holding her and how the little girl had her face in Haven’s neck was a si
HAVEN Somehow, the massage today was worse than yesterday. It might have been the anticipation, but after Ben said that there were things he and I needed to work out, he went silent. I didn’t want to dive into it, so I stayed silent, too, wanting to avoid the conversation for as long as possible
BEN Today was supposed to be an easy day. Low weight followed by a massage… I don’t think I've had such a light-lifting day in years. Haven had me using ten pounds for most of the exercises, which made me laugh when she first told me I would be using them. But I would never doubt her again, not
HAVEN “Good Morning, Mrs. Nile,” I greeted Suzie and watched as she nodded in return. It was missing her usual warmth, and I swallowed hard as I passed her to the locker room to put my bag away for the day. After Cynthia had talked me down and convinced me running wasn’t the answer and that it
BEN I knew I was being rash, and when I got off the phone with Rob, I couldn’t find it in me to call my lawyer. Something wasn’t sitting right with me, and how Rob spoke about her was disturbing. He loathed her on a level that I hadn’t seen before, and I knew something else was going on that I di
HAVEN I had never driven so fast or recklessly in my life. My vision was blurred with tears, and I couldn’t seem to slow my heart or breathing down no matter how much I tried to do so. It wasn’t safe for me to be driving like this, and I was grateful that I made it home in one piece and hadn’t