Shattered Vows

Beep. Beep. Beep.The sound drilled into my skull like an alarm I couldn't snooze. My eyelids felt like they had been glued shut, my body heavy like I'd been hit by a truck—or maybe an entire army of them. Everything ached.I forced my eyes open, blinking against the blinding fluorescent lights. White walls. A hospital bed. Machines blinking beside me.Okay... I was definitely in a hospital."Can you hear me?"The voice came from a man standing way too close to my face. I squinted, trying to make sense of his blurred features. He was holding something—oh. A flashlight.Before I could react, he flicked it straight into my eyes. "What the hell, man? You trying to blind me?" I snapped, instinctively jerking my head away.The guy—who I now realized was a doctor—chuckled. "That's a good sign.""Says the man trying to burn my retinas."Behind him, a woman in a nurse's uniform smiled as she scribbled something on a clipboard. They didn't seem particularly horrified by my presence, which mean

I woke up to the scent of cedarwood and something undeniably masculine. Groggy and disoriented, I blinked at the ceiling, my brain struggling to reboot. The last thing I remembered was the hospital—the blaring alarms, Mrs. Evans calling my name, and then... nothing.So why was I here? And more importantly, where was I?I pushed myself up, scanning the room. It was neat, but definitely lived-in. A bookshelf stuffed with war history and mechanics books lined one wall. A desk in the corner was cluttered with papers, and near the wardrobe sat a set of weights that looked suspiciously like they'd never been used. The faint scent of cologne lingered in the air, wrapping around me like an invisible sign that read: You are 100% in a man's room.Okay. Time to panic.I gripped the blankets, my mind racing. Did I sleepwalk my way into some guy's room? Had I been kidnapped? Oh God, was I about to hear the words, Good morning, wife. You've been in a coma, but don't worry—we had a beautiful wedding

That night, I couldn't sleep.The old newspaper lay hidden beneath my mattress, but it felt like it was breathing beneath me—taunting me, whispering secrets I couldn't remember. I had only glanced at the torn edges, but the image of that woman—my face—was burned into my mind.My fingers twitched at my sides, aching to pull the paper out, to study it under the moonlight. But a bigger part of me was terrified of what I might find.Was I a criminal? A fugitive? A murderer? My breath came shallow and uneven. No, no—I couldn't be. Could I? But then... why had no one come looking for me? Why had I been left for dead?I pulled the blanket tighter around me, curling into myself. If the Evanses knew about this, would they still let me stay? Or would they be too scared to sleep under the same roof as me?A wave of panic crawled up my throat, thick and suffocating. I had finally found something good here. A home, a place where I was wanted. If my past caught up to me, I could lose all of it.I s

It had been a week since Liam arrived, but it felt like a year. No matter what I did, I felt watched—like unseen eyes followed my every move. And I didn't have to guess who they belonged to.Liam.He wasn't just watching. He was waiting. Waiting for me to slip, to prove him right—that I didn't belong here, that I was a danger to his family. It was suffocating.Ella and Evans were still as warm as ever, but things weren't the same. Not because they had changed, but because I had. Or maybe becauseLiam had.The worst part? He wasn't even doing anything. I know how ridiculous that sounds. How does someone make your life unbearable without even speaking to you? But that was exactly it. Liam didn't acknowledge me. To him, I was either invisible or an unwanted guest overstaying my welcome. He never said it out loud, but I felt it in every glance, every sharp look, every heavy silence when we were in the same room.One thing I'd learned about Liam was that he was always watching. He was quie

I was in the kitchen, grilling chicken the way Ella had taught me. After several failed attempts, I could finally say I had mastered it—or at least, I wasn't burning it to a crisp anymore. Ella and Evans had gone out for a meeting, and as for Liam... well, I hadn't seen him, but I knew he was around. He always was.The rich, smoky aroma of the chicken filled the kitchen, making my stomach growl. This particular chicken had given me hell when I was trying to catch it, and now, here it was—seasoned to perfection, sizzling over the fire. Karma was a funny thing. Or maybe I had chosen it on purpose. Who knew?Satisfied with my work, I set the table, ready to devour my well-earned meal when the doorbell rang. I frowned, wondering who it could be. Wiping my hands on a cloth, I made my way to the door and pulled it open.Two men stood outside. One wore a hoodie, his hands shoved into the front pocket, while the other, clad in a black jacket, had his arms crossed over his chest."Uh... Trevor