Mag-log inI stare down into my cup. “With everything I have.” “I know.” I swallow hard. “I nearly lost her.” Nancy’s expression softens immediately. “But you didn’t.” I laugh bitterly under my breath. “She got kidnapped because of me.” “No,” Nancy corrects me firmly. “She got kidnapped because two u
I wake with a sharp ache running down my neck and shoulders. For a few disoriented seconds, I didn’t know where I was. My body feels twisted at an unnatural angle, one arm numb from where it has been trapped awkwardly against the hospital chair all night. Then the steady beep of monitors reaches my
Then Dale sighs heavily. “Greg… before anything else, I am so sorry.” I lean against the wall, closing my eyes. “You have nothing to apologize for.” “Yes, I do,” Dale says quietly. “Andrea is my daughter. What she did to Jennifer…” His voice cracks slightly. “There are no words for how ashamed I a
GregThe steady beep of monitors has become the soundtrack to my personal hell. I’m sitting slumped in the stiff plastic chair beside Jen’s hospital bed. Elbows on my knees and my hands clasped so tightly together that my knuckles have gone white. The room is dim except for the pale afternoon light
“JEN!” Greg. My head snaps up. He comes sprinting into the warehouse like a man possessed. His face is pale with terror, his eyes are bloodshot and frantic as he runs straight toward me. “Sweet cheeks—oh my God—” I break down instantly at the sight of him. “Greg…” He drops to his knees in front o
I can barely breathe. Every second feels like another weight crushing down onto my chest, pressing harder and harder until I think I might suffocate before the bomb ever had the chance to explode. The warehouse feels colder now. Or maybe that is just fear settling into my bones. My wrists burn from
Jen gasps and slaps me across my chest, avoiding my broken arm. “I can’t believe that of all the things about me, that is the one you remember.” Her face turns reddish pink, making me unsure if she’s embarrassed or blushing. OR maybe both.“When it comes to you, sweet cheeks, I have never forgotten.
Getting wheeled back into the gallery where Jen left me, I keep looking at all the paintings, waiting for her to return. My eyes kept wandering to the painting I have just secretly purchased for the woman who is taking care of me and whom I still love deeply. When I get a bit longer of a chance, I n
“What do you think of it?” Jen asks me. I can only ever be honest with her, so I tell her my honest opinion.“It’s breathtaking. There’s something about this painting that reminds me of you. I don’t quite know what it is, but it’s there. The colors and the contrasts are just captivating. I can see w
“I will drive you to all your appointments as long as they don’t interfere with my classes or my job. If they do, you will need to make other arrangements. You will have your own room, and we would obviously need to let each other know about the shower. Other than that, I’m sure we will get along qu







