LOGINEVELYN."So this is one way of you when you were thirteen," Dylan’s soothing voice went through my ears as he pointed at a photo in the album he held in his hands. I took a seat next to him, taking off my kitchen mitten. I’d been making cupcakes, his favorites.I remembered how Jenna would always make fun of his sweet month. Dylan hadn’t changed, he was cheesing in excitement when I brought out the recipe book. The oven flames cackled at a distance from where we sat down. I had about an hour or so left."You had just started a new school here, I remember,” He squinted, fighting through his already foggy memory. But he was trying his best."I remember this one!" I pointed to the book and he nodded with a smile. "Ah yes, this was when we newly moved and our neighbors hosted us for dinner. They were so friendly and their boy used to come around to help but I think it was only because he wanted to see you,” Dylan chuckled.“That boy used to have the biggest crush on you,” He looked up at
NICHOLAS."What are you saying, Giselle?" I asked her, looking down at my phone that rang for the one millionth time. Linda looked up in my direction. "You sure you don't want to get that?" She asked and I turned down the volume immediately. "It's my maid, Anna.” I said. I had no idea why she was calling me when I had other workers in charge. I put my phone away, standing in front of Giselle so she knew she had my full attention. It’s not every day you find out you had a kid on the way and in my case, I had also found out I lost said kid.All in the span of a day. I had a whiplash thinking about it. Most especially why would she keep it away from me?But I took pity on her. Giselle’s eyes were filled with tears as she sat forward. She was going through a lot, her mind flooded with flashbacks as she sat there, agitated."She came into my house and said she needed some things and then we got into a fight when I told her I was done and Donna…” Her voice broke. She replayed that night in
ELIJAH.I got off the call with Aubrey and slipped the phone back into my pockets. I had gotten out of the god-awful prison clothes and it wasn’t until the wind blew against my face that my freedom hit me. A sly smirk crept to my lips as I walked out of the facility. Somehow, some unknown man powerful enough had made some calls to pull some strings which only meant I had a favor to return.What favor? I had no idea but I didn’t care. At least I was a free man. I wasn’t going to question my freedom.However, when I walked out into the parking lot, I was surprised to see the man standing in front of me.“Harold?” I called. It was Hazel’s father, slumped against the fence with a cigarette between his lips and he did not look pleased with me. “I can’t believe you got me out,” I croaked. He crushed his cigarette underneath his shoe. “This is the last time,” Harold snarled. “This is the last time you ever drag me into your messes, the last time I help you.” He was bitter. I knew it was up
AUBREY. "You're not pregnant." In that moment, a breath of relief escaped my lips and I pushed a hard lump down my throat. It was a sunny morning in Oregon and that day marked a month since what happened with Elijah. And maybe it was still paranoia but the few days leading up to this one, I had felt the hunch that I may have finally been pregnant because we had been trying a few months ago. Months before I realized how much of a monster he was. The past four weeks had been rough but slowly, I began to feel at peace even though his mother still blamed me for his disappearance. As I sat in that chair, it was not as if I didn't miss him. Because I did. I found myself wishing things were different on some days. For the longest time, all I wanted to be was pregnant for him. But sitting here again, I wasn’t sure what I wanted. So when the doctor read out the results, I wasn’t sure if the deep breath that came out was one of regret or relief. “Are you okay?" Dr. Amanda asked. She’d be
NICHOLAS. The rain splattered against the foggy windshields and even the wipers' back and forth couldn't give me the best vision. I sat in the driver's seat with his hands around the steering wheel and my eyes set in the distance. Everywhere had gone dark all of a sudden, leaving me plenty of time with m the thoughts that ran through his head. Even though I hadn't told anyone, I remembered running into Giselle's mother that day, three weeks ago and it was all I could still think about. Was I really the father of Giselle's baby? Though Hazel had been there that night, I decided to keep it from her because that was the same day she lost Agnes. But for a second I thought how much this could change everything. My mind raced as I sped across the highway. Gripping the steering wheel with his right hand and holding the gear with my left, wishing I could go faster. I should've checked in on her. Giselle. I could've talked to her. All I knew was that the fall had caused her severe
GISELLE.It was morning but somehow bringing my eyes to open was the hardest battle I had ever faced. It was almost impossible but that's what happens when they’ve been closed for three weeks.I laid across the hospital bed, the incessant beeps from my heart monitor were music to my ears. I tried to sit up but there was a searing migraine that hit my head. When my eyes finally opened, I looked around the room and the nurse right next to me screamed like she’d seen a ghost."She's awake!" She yelled. Startled, I turned to face the door from where a bunch of familiar faces came through. “Where am I?” I recognized Dr. Tierra even though my memory was still fuzzy. Trying to speak was painful as well. My throat was sore, I realized it was because of the cast around my neck.“Giselle,” The Doctor heaved. “You’re awake.”“Can you remember what happened?” She asked, using her fingers and a bright light to examine my eyes. “What?” I shuddered with a crinkle between my brows. I looked around fo
HAZEL.“Pancakes…please don’t give Elizabeth pancakes, she hates them. David doesn’t so you could give him but you could just make sandwiches for Beth or,” I checked off the list, running through the basics with Lucy who leaned against the counter exhausted.“Macaroni and cheese. You’ve already run
HAZEL. I had my eyes fixed on the laptop as I scanned through apartment listings in Seattle. My aunt was right beside me on the couch, she was getting a lot better with each day that passed. Though she still found it hard to move at times, she could still speak. And it had been a week since her
NICHOLAS.TWELVE MONTHS AGO.I walked into the office that day to see my mother alongside five men dressed in suits and carrying a briefcase in each arm. There was an open document on the table next to a safe key."What is this?" I asked impatiently. I had just gotten off the phone with my mother e
HAZEL."Giselle loves the new designs!" Evelyn said from across the room with relief in her voice. She'd just gotten off the call with Giselle after resubmitting some of her more authentic designs. She told me how their last meeting went and I watched how hard she worked her ass off these last few







