LOGINEddieI couldn't get the image of Adrienne tumbling down those stairs out of my head no matter how hard I tried. I'd been standing right there, but still I'd not been able to save her. Despite what my mind was trying to tell me, I was sure of what I saw.She fell because she lost her balance. She hadn't been acting. She hadn't been vying for my attention. Maybe that was why I couldn't swallow the heavy knot that formed in my throat. Why I didn't hear Lydia's soft voice when she said, "We're here.""We're here, Eddie," she said again, pulling me out of my thoughts. I jerked up to see that I'd pulled up in front of her home. My thoughts were scattered, but still I'd brought her home.I'd driven on autopilot, my body going through the motions while my mind remained trapped in that stairwell, watching Adrienne fall over and over again.Lydia hesitated for a moment before asking, her voice soft and unsure, "Eddie, aren't you going to walk me upstairs?" Her invitation was clear.I looked st
ArleneThe hospital corridor outside the emergency room buzzed with doctors and nurses hurrying in and out. I stood just outside, my nerves stretched tight as I waited for news. Even though I was a nurse and had worked in hospitals for years, my emotions overwhelmed me now, leaving me unable to step inside. Thankfully, I had ensured that blood supplies would be available ahead of time, calling ahead to the blood bank as soon as I realized how much blood Adrienne had lost at the bottom of those stairs.Still, I couldn't be certain about Adrienne's condition right now.The image of her at the bottom of the stairwell kept flashing in my mind. Her pale face. The blood pooling beneath her. The way her hand had clutched desperately at her stomach. The way her eyes had fluttered closed as if she was giving up.My thoughts spun in circles, and I realized I couldn't even trust my own judgment at the moment. All I could do was wait and hope for good news.The minutes stretched into what felt li
ArleneWhat had I done?My chest heaved as fear settled at the bottom of my stomach. The sight of Adrienne struggling at the bottom of the stairs almost made me double over. What happened? How did she…I didn't have the time to start asking needless questions which would never provide an answer. Right now, Adrienne needed me. It was my fault she was down there in the first place. If I hadn't started a fight with Lydia. If I hadn't -"Adrienne!" I shouted, pushing down the panic that welled up in my chest. I ran down the steps, not even looking where my foot landed. I was by her side in the twinkle of an eye but the sight of the blood on the ground beneath her pulled all the panic to the surface.WHAT THE HELL HAVE I DONE?!The words of the doctor when she was being wheeled into the emergency room rang in my ears. "She hit her head during the car accident," he'd explained. "It left her with scrapes and a mild concussion. She'll need to be monitored closely and kept on bed rest to recov
Adrienne"Adrienne!" Arlene reacted the quickest, rushing forward to steady me.Standing with Lydia, Eddie narrowed his eyes as he studied me from head to toe, his gaze stopping to focus on the bandage across my forehead.I glanced from him to Lydia. "I asked what is going on here?"Before Arlene could answer, Eddie interrupted, his tone cold and sharp. His words were edged with sarcasm as he addressed me. "Looks like you're perfectly fine."My pale face and the simple bandage over my forehead only seemed to fuel Eddie's anger.I could see it in his eyes - the suspicion. Did he think I faked the accident just to make him leave Lydia and come here.I could still remember Arlene trying to call him as I slipped in and out of consciousness. I recalled trying to reach him as well when fear curled my guts. when I thought whoever had been chasing me would kill me. Those memories made my chest tighten.Now he was here and was suspecting me of what? putting on a show.I was confused by his wo
ADRIENNEI found myself swallowed by pitch-black silence. The emptiness wrapped around me like cold fog, pulling me under.Something vital had slipped from my memory.Fear coiled tightly in my chest as I reached for a lifeline I couldn't grasp. My body felt like lead, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't make it move.Time seemed to stretch endlessly - until a faint glow appeared ahead. Summoning the last of my strength, I inched toward it.The light revealed a peaceful family scene inside a kitchen space. The counters were clean and sparkling and looked like it belonged to a chef who knew exactly what she was doing. Every single thing was in place and in the best possible state. Little version of myself stood at the kitchen counter, chopping vegetables in an irregular rhythm. The aroma drifting from the pot was something warm and familiar - my mother's signature stew.Curtains fluttered in the breeze through an old-fashioned window frame. Warm yellow sunlight spilled into the
EDDIE"She was hit by a car," Arlene said, her voice suddenly turning hard and cold and stripped of any emotion. "If you still have any conscience left, get over here."I slammed the brakes. The tires screeched against the asphalt, and the car came to a halt.A horn blared behind me, followed by a string of angry curses. But I barely heard them. My grip on the steering wheel tightened as Arlene's call cut off.Beside me, Lydia had heard everything. She said nothing at first, but then her phone buzzed with a new notification and she glanced down, then slowly tucked it away. Turning to me, her eyes widened with worry."Eddie… could something really have happened to her? We should go -now." Her voice trembled, full of concern. "This doesn't sound small. It sounds serious. Thank God she was brought to the hospital. And Arlene's there - her best friend. She'll be in good hands, but… Eddie, we should hurry. Adrienne called you so many times - it must've been important."She looked like she
ADRIENNE My heart stirred long after Marcus disappeared behind the door. There was a longing in my chest I didn’t understand and honestly, I wasn’t sure I wanted to. Still, it pulled me in. What was this? I recognized the feeling, the beginning of it, but did I want to acknowledge it? I hardly
LYDIA “Your father is here,” Eddie had said, pulling his jacket back on, already halfway to the door as he finished his sentence. “I don’t want to be here when he comes and I have something to attend to at the office. We’ll talk later.” That was ten minutes ago. Ten minutes of my heart beating l
ADRIENNE I had nothing to say. No, I had lots to say but my mouth wouldn’t move. I wanted to tell Old Mr. Quinn that his son could go to hell. That I wanted nothing more to do with his family. That I already had plans to move on. But I respected Old Mr. Quinn too much to say all of that. If
EDDIE“She got what was coming to her, Grandma,” I said. “I already explained my situation with Lydia with her, yet she still chose to make a scene in public for that matter. If she’d kept the fact that she was my fiancee a secret as it had been, no one would have cause to attack her.”In the backg







