FAZER LOGINThe sound of running water filled the bathroom as steam touched the transparent glass walls. Conrad stood under the shower, letting the warm water roll down his back, trying to wash away the weight of the morning. His shoulders were tense, his thoughts loud, even as the bathroom stayed quiet.“Daddy?”David’s small voice came from behind the glass.Conrad turned slightly. “What’s up, bud?” he answered, calm but tired.“Mary needs you downstairs.”“Alright, I’m coming.”He reached for his towel, wiped his face, and stepped out of the shower. Water dripped onto the tiled floor as he wrapped the towel around his waist. David was still standing there, watching him. Conrad noticed immediately.“You alright?” he asked gently.David hesitated, then spoke. “How long is Mary going to be staying with us? It used to be on and off.”Conrad sighed quietly as he dried the rest of his body. “For a while,” he s
Nice to meet you, Jessie,” he said.“Nice to meet you…” Jessica paused. She didn’t know his name.“Jeremy,” he said.“Jeremy?” she asked again.“Yeah…”“Okay… I’m just out here having a drink with my friend. Ain’t really interested in—or…” Jessica got cut off.“Available? You ain’t available. Gosh, you’re too hot to be single.” He stared at her like he saw the most beautiful woman in the world, smiling sheepishly.“Hmmm,” Jessica responded, wanting to just leave and meet up with Sadie.“Or you’re in a relationship?”Jessica stiffened. Memories of how everything ended with Conrad rushed back—back to the present reality she was trying not to think about.“Screw it… You don’t wanna go out with me. I am a messy mess right now. I just blew up my life… kind of unintentionally. I have a kid, I’m in the middle of a divorce crisis, and even with the divorce, I drove the love of my life away because I was angry—which practic
Three Months LaterRain tapped softly against the window of Jessica’s new apartment. She sat by the sill, staring at the gray streets of New York, thinking about all the choices that had brought her here. Boxes were stacked neatly in corners, some still unopened, and the apartment felt both new and empty. She took a deep breath, letting herself sink into the quiet… until a knock on the door jolted her.Knock knock!Jessica jumped and ran to open it.“Hey, hey!” Sadie’s bright voice filled the doorway. She was grinning, holding a bottle of champagne like a trophy.“You’re back!” Jessica said, laughing, pulling her friend into a hug.“Of course!” Sadie hugged her tight. “And I’m exhausted… but I brought reinforcements.” She waved the bottle. “So… you got a couch?”“I finally unpacked all the boxes. Which means… this is really happening,” Jessica said, laughing nervously as she looked around. “This… is my life now.”
Sadie stood quietly beside the hospital bed, watching Jessica breathe.That alone felt like a miracle.“You scared me,” Sadie said softly, forcing a small smile as she stepped closer. “You scared all of us.”Jessica turned her head slightly. She looked tired—pale, weak—but her eyes were clear. When she saw Sadie properly, her lips curved faintly.“You look worse than me,” Jessica whispered.Sadie huffed out a breath that sounded half like a laugh, half like a sob. “Don’t even start. You got shot. I’m allowed to look terrible.”Jessica reached out weakly, her fingers brushing Sadie’s hand. “Thank you… for staying.”“I wasn’t going anywhere,” Sadie said immediately. “Not this time.”For a moment, neither of them spoke. The machines filled the silence, steady and reassuring. Sadie swallowed, her chest tightening.“I’m just happy you’re okay again,” she said quietly. “I don’t care about anything else right now.”Jes
“She’s okay,” The doctor said calmly. “The surgery went well. She’s stable now. You can see her, but only for a few minutes.”Sadie felt her knees weaken with relief. Conrad let out a long breath, one hand running through his hair. Stefan closed his eyes briefly, like he’d been holding his breath for hours without realizing it.Jessica was alive.They followed the nurse down the quiet hallway toward recovery. Sadie walked beside Conrad, but her thoughts were already drifting away. She was grateful Jessica was alive—but she knew this wasn’t over. Not emotionally. Not for any of them.At the door, Conrad hesitated.“I’ll stay back,” Stefan said quietly. “You go in.”Conrad frowned. “You sure?”Stefan nodded. “I’ll be right here.”Conrad looked between them, uneasy. He didn’t like leaving them alone—not now, not with everything hanging in the air. But before he could say anything else, a nurse approached
“I don’t want this anymore, and I need you to understand,” Sadie said into her phone. Her voice was tired but firm. “I need to go see my best friend at the hospital. I just arrived here, please.”Scott started talking on the other end.Sadie didn’t listen.She ended the call and dropped the phone into her bag as she stepped down from the bus.Her hair was messy, tied up in a careless way. Her eyes were swollen, dark bags sitting under them from crying and not sleeping. She looked like someone who hadn’t rested in days. In her hand was her Stanley cup, filled with coffee she had barely touched.Jessica.That was the only thing on her mind as she walked into the hospital.She moved fast through the hallway, her eyes searching, her heart beating hard. She didn’t care about anything else around her. She just needed to see familiar faces.Then she saw them.Stefan.Conrad.They were standing close to each othe







