No Way Back Jane Fowler Novels & Stories

And a secret she’d kept hidden for ten years. She adjusted her navy blazer as the elevator doors opened with a soft ding, and then she stepped inside. Her reflection in the mirrored walls stared back at her as she exhaled sharply. Twelve years ago, she came into this building as a young intern. Ten years ago, she left Damien Carrington’s life and never looked back. And now… she was coming back to take down his company. The elevator was quiet as it went up, and she felt her chest tighten. It wasn’t fear. It wasn’t regret. It was something stronger. She remembered her daughter’s sleepy face that morning, asking why she was wearing “war clothes” again.

I shoved her away forcefully and, thinking about the gift Lily mentioned, hurried back home. It was true. I hadn't returned home in a long time. When I got back, I was instantly enveloped by a heavy sense of cold emptiness. The gift Lily had mentioned was sitting alone on the table. I looked at the note and suddenly felt a tightness in my chest. Was this just another tactic Lily was using to get my attention? But how could she be so cruel, using our child's life to provoke me? "Lily! Come out! You shouldn't lie about a miscarriage just to make me care about you! Come out and explain yourself!"

“Uh-huh. That’s your I’m hiding all the juicy stuff face.” “Maybe,” I teased, earning a playful shove. She sighed, collapsing against the pillows. “Anyway, I’m just glad his annoying ex-wife wouldn't be around to be a burden any more.” The casual comment snagged in my mind like a hook. I blinked. “What do you mean?” Jane sat up, suddenly sheepish. “Oh… you didn’t know?” A ripple of unease tightened my chest. “Know what?” “She ran away,” Jane said slowly, watching my face. “Carter’s been looking for her.”

-0-0—Flasback Le Meridien. Sept. 20th, 2006 Jane squeezed his hand and then let it fall, walking towards the elevator. She had plenty of time to study the lay of the ground in the moments between her crazy thoughts or these crazy feelings coalescing inside of her, and she walked right into this man's arms, fuck it.