visibly relaxed, as if a great burden had been lifted. The performance

ou won't do it, I will. You're being irrati

e'd just taken, but my face was now a deliberate blur, an unrecognizable smudge next to his perfectly composed profile. The capt

y lips. He was so transpare

ne from the bedside table. His fingers flew a

asked, my voice barely a

cold, but I was too weak, too stunned t

n. "I smoothed things over. And I told her I'd make her favorite pas

for the drama, Annis. I know it wasn't your fault. Coleton's makin

s reply: 'Oh, Clarissa! You're too sweet. An

inside jokes, all through my phone. I watched them, two strangers conversing, as if I wasn't even in the room,

ak, still bleeding, still reeling from the loss of our children. My body ached, a constant

charge papers are ready. But Ms. Joyce is still quite frail. We recomme

als depress her." He walked over to the counter, already signing the papers. "Hon

s ridiculous. All this for a miscarriage? It h

time. My breath caught in my throat. I stared at him, my h

g slightly. I pulled out my credit card.

then turned to Coleton, her voice laced with thinly veiled anger. "Mr. Ste

u to tell me about my fiancée's care? Stay out of our busin

the nurse, forcing a weak sm

and bruising. "Let's go," he snarled, p

the nurse called after me, her v

hat was that?" he hissed, pulling me into a secluded alcove near the ele

wide. "I wasn't complainin

wasn't there when it happened? Making me look negligen

ng to her, Coleton.

magically stop nature from taking its course?" His voice was laced with an

o, Coleton. I'm not punishing you." I'm lea

atisfied. "Fine." He turned

bdomen throbbed with every step. Coleton didn't look

urb. He got in, the engine revving. I was almost ther

d forward. My hand slipped. I lost my

he pavement. A searing pain exploded be

ce, distant and muffled. "Clarissa? Oh, for God