LOGINLYDIA'S POV"What in the world have you done?"Ethan was on the floor, one hand pressed to his ribs. His lip was split, and each breath looked painful.David stood over him, his chest rising and falling hard, his knuckles red."David." I stepped between them. "Stop. Look at me. I need you to stop this madness."His gaze snapped to mine.But he didn't look calm. He looked like a man still deciding whether he was finished."What happened?" I looked from Ethan to David. "What did he say to you?"David's jaw tightened. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and looked at me with burning eyes."Is Ethan Noah's father?" His voice was low and thick.The corridor went silent.I stared at him, my head spinning."What kind of question is that?""Answer me!" David barked. "Is he?""David—""Is Ethan Noah's father, Lydia?" His voice was louder this time.At the end of the corridor, the patrol officer glanced over."Lower your voice," I said, gesturing."I don't care about my voice right now
DAVID'S POVThe corridor was empty. Ethan pulled the door behind him, turned to face me, and crossed his arms, and I already knew what this was going to be before he opened his mouth."I want to know what happened last night," he said."Ask Lydia," I blurted."I already did that." His face was firm."And?""She didn't answer." He walked closer, close enough to perceive his scent. "That tells me something is going on, and I need answers."I looked at him. "Then why are you asking me?""Because I want to hear you say it."I said nothing.He took a step closer. "She is my wife, David."I looked at him for a long moment. I almost laughed."Your wife," I said."Yes." His eyes went wide."Really?""Yes."I tilted my head. "Interesting." I slipped my hands into my pockets. "Then where are the wedding photos? I would love to see them."He looked away from me. He didn't see that coming."Where's the certificate?" I said. "The rings? The venue? Who was the officiant?" I stepped closer. "Because
LYDIA'S POVI woke up to the smell of coffee.For a second, I forgot everything about the fire escape, the letters scored into the metal , Ethan at my kitchen table at 4 am. I just smelled coffee and heard the city outside my window doing its morning thing.I sat up, reached for my robe, and walked out.Ethan was at my kitchen counter with two cups already poured. He was still in yesterday's clothes. His hair was flat on one side from the couch cushion. He looked up when I walked in."Morning, Lydia," he said."Hey, you're up early." I took the cup he slid toward me.We stood on opposite sides of the counter for a moment, drinking, no one spoke. That awkward silence of two people who have something between them and are deciding who goes first.Ethan went first."What happened the night before?" he said.I looked at my cup."Which part?" I said carefully."Before yesterday, Lydia." He set his cup down. "David said you would talk today about last night. What happened between you two, Ly
LYDIA'S POVI ran inside and went through every single one with my hands shaking and Bruno following me from room to room like he understood what we were doing and approved. Both locks, the chain, the utility door bolt and the window latch in the kitchen.Then I sat on the kitchen floor, with my back against the cabinet. My knees pulled up, my phone in my hand and my torch still on even though every light in the apartment was blazing. Bruno sat beside me, his warm weight pressed against my leg. I put my hand on his back and felt him breathing and focused on that for a moment.No one else came to mind except David, I couldn’t understand why my mind chose David at this crucial moment. I called David, It rang twice."Lydia." His voice came through immediately, sharp, like he hadn't been sleeping either."David…..” My voice broke. “She…She's still out there.""What? What do you mean? Who?...""Nina." I pressed my back harder against the cabinet. "David she is still out there. Someone was
LYDIA'S POVI called Maya at seven in the morning, still sitting on the floor behind my front door.She picked up after several calls."Lydia?""Hey… M… Maya." My voice shook."Hey, you good? You sound disturbed. Hold on, I'm coming," she said and hung up.******She was at my door in thirty minutes with two coffees and a paper bag from the bakery around the corner. That was Maya , coming through when I needed her to. She walked in, looked at me, scanned the apartment, then looked at me again.Then she set the coffees on the counter and opened her arms. I walked into them and fell apart completely. I couldn't hold it all together anymore.The farm. Ms. Claire's wall. The photograph of the woman at the barn. David on the other side of my door last night and in my bed."I don't know what I'm doing, Maya." My voice came out muffled and broken. "I don't know what I'm doing. The farm is gone. Someone is still out there. Ms. Claire is terrified. And I—" I pulled back enough to look at her.
DAVID'S POVI drove around for an hour before I ended up outside her building.I didn't plan it. I was on my way home or telling myself I was but my hands kept the wheel, and my mind kept running toward her direction.I parked across the street and sat there.The lights were off in her apartment, which was unusual. I could see the curtains down, and the yellow light that burned on the fourth floor was totally off. She wasn't home. Noah was probably at his grandmother's.I sat in the car for twenty minutes, having long thoughts of waiting a bit or getting my curious self off her street.Then I got out.She came around the corner of the building at the same moment I reached the entrance. She was walking with her bag on her shoulder, her keys already dangling in her hand, and her head slightly down — the way she walked when she was tired at the end of the day. She looked up when she heard my footsteps and stopped dead."David?" My name landed in the night air between us."Lydia, hey—""
LYDIA'S POVThe elevator doors slid open. I stepped in. Then I saw him.David was standing at the back. His hands were in his pockets. His face was hard. He looked at me for half a second. Then he turned his head away, like I was a stranger.I stood at the opposite side of the elevator. The doors c
DAVID'S POV"I'm here now, why do I feel nervous?" I whispered.The address sat in my phone like a live wire. I had stared at it for ten minutes before I started the car. Now I was parked across the street from a small brick building with a fire escape on the side, apartment 4B. Lydia's apartment.
DAVID'S POVThe pasta was burning. I had not stirred it in minutes. The smell should have pulled me back, but I was somewhere else. I was at the kitchen table, my mind drifted to years ago. Lydia twirling the fork and laughing at something I said. The way her nose crinkled when she was happy.Then
LYDIA'S POVMorning came so early. I woke up pretty late, courtesy of last night's hangout. The apartment was empty. Noah was at school. Sandra had left a message about his wellbeing. I was still in my clothes from last night. My hair was still tangled from the wind. I looked at my phone. No messag







