LOGIN"Owen... you need to cut yourself some slack," she says gently, reaching up to lightly brush her thumb against my cheekbone. "You don't have to be the invincible counselor right now. You just lost your mom, honey. I know how much she meant to you. I know how much you loved her, and I know how hard y
I watch Sydney walk away from me, her spine perfectly straight, her head held high like a queen marching out of a ruined kingdom. Her words—sharp, icy, and dripping with disgust that makes my skin crawl—still echo in the quiet space of the dining room. "While you're busy playing love and playing h
My heart drops into my shoes, a sickening wave of nausea swirling in my stomach. He sharply pulls away after a beat, his hands coming up to grip her shoulders, his face a mix of shock and discomfort. "Camille, what are you doing here? How did you even get past the gates?" "Oh, Owen, I came the sec
I lean in across the dark wood, my jaw tight, waiting for the genius to drop some mind-blowing corporate strategy. Owen slides his glass entirely out of the way, his eyes tracking mine with a sudden, sharp intensity. "The first thing we need to do," he says, leaning his forearms on the table, "is p
I don't wait to hear another word. A blinding, white-hot rush of pure adrenaline and rage explodes in my chest. Before I even realize what I’m doing, my arm whips forward. I throw my phone across the bedroom with every ounce of strength I have left. It hits the far drywall with a sickening smack,
I sit on the edge of the mattress, the silence of my locked bedroom pressing in from all sides. My scalp still burns from where I was aggressively pulling at the tangles earlier, but I barely care. I slowly run a hand through my hair, letting out a long breath that shudders against my teeth. The r
The hum of the tires against the asphalt is the only thing grounding me right now. I’m huddled in the passenger seat of Owen’s car, still shivering so hard my teeth are doing a percussion solo. My head is throbbing where it met that sideboard, and my wrists are raw from the struggle, but strangely
His words hit me like a physical blow to the chest. "I took her from you once." The world starts to tilt. A white-hot flash of light explodes behind my eyes, and suddenly, the dam breaks. The memories don't just return; they flood in with the force of a tidal wave, drowning out the present. I’m b
I’ve taken a few steps toward the car, my keys biting into my palm, when I hear a sound. It’s muffled, like someone trying to shout through a thick wool blanket. I freeze. My breath hitches, and I strain my ears, listening so hard it actually hurts. For a long, agonizing second, there’s nothing
"Sydney!" he bellows. I fumble for the buttons, but before I can find the right one, I feel a hand clamp around my ankle. Deckard hasn't stayed down. He yanks my leg, and I go crashing to the floor. My forehead hits the hardwood with a sickening thud, and for a second, the world turns into a kaleid







