freshly turned earth. A wave of nausea swept over me, and my stomach churned violently. I gasped, struggling to catch my breath, the air thic

e to be steady, even. My hands still trem

is officially terminated. Effective immediately. And for the recor

e of termination of our relationship. As per protocol, I expect a do

in was still there, a dense knot of humiliation and grief, but now it was sharper, edged with a desperate, burgeoning an

It was almost a relief to climb inside, to be shielded from the prying eyes, the sympathetic glances that felt like dagg

tem, a worn climbing rope, a dog-eared travel guide, a faded photograph, was a fresh wound. I carefully boxed them, sending them back to our small h

Callen's penthouse. Our penthouse, I used to think. The place

of the private elevator. The silence was deafening, the vast space feeling colder and more sterile than ever bef

, his back to me. He' d just showered, his dark hair still damp, clinging to his nape. The expensive bathrobe he wore hung loosely, hinting

ice purred from the bathroom, startling me. "Callen, da

The voice was unm

s met mine across the cavernous room, a predatory gleam in their depths. Her lips, usually so prim, were swollen,

urface, exploded. I wanted to scream, to tear the silk from her body, to lash out at Callen for t

mething? My mistake." I watched her, her eyes wide, her posture stiff, a flicker of som

e, sharp and laced with anger, stopped me. "Kinsley! Where do you think you're going?" He

throbe, with a fresh hickey that could only have come from him. How much more could I endure? A familiar script unwound in

hink?" I scoffed, a dark, humorless laugh bubbling up. "Oh, I think I know exactly what I think, Callen. And it's not a misunderstanding

e floor, her voice a theatrical whisper. "Oh, Mr. House, I'm so sorry... Kinsley, please, don't be angry. It wa

The feigned innocence, the calculated vu

his voice cold, final. "She's been through a lot tod

woman who had systematically destroyed my relationship with him, who had just been caught in my bathrobe, with his hickey, was "invaluable." It was too much

us whisper. "I don't think so." The words were lik