na

sitting on my nightstand

high scho

fe, I would have

as just the decorative wife of a man who despised me, a wo

dress that cost more t

m Italian silk, and it covered

going to

ng to say

I barely recognized. They were older, softer, their l

sparkling water, feeling lik

na G

urn

Sarah a

Now, Mike looked tired, his hairline receding, a

corrected automatical

g as the name registered. "The Vitie

I asked, m

the scent of cheap Chardonnay on her brea

ed. "A

of his beer. "Everyone knows the story. S

od ran

ht about that

e talking about," I said

the principal deleted it. You took a switchblade to the arm for Dante Vitiello.

ss until my knuc

ante's gun fell through the ice. You dove in. We all thought you were dead. You came up blue,

m, breath trapp

ht no o

been invisible

ing this up?" I as

dreamy. "You loved him even then. And now yo

iry

he ending was writt

," I said softly.

you call sav

came from

Terrifying

llroom seemed to

around. I di

elt

Viti

y stammered excuses and vanis

ned s

lack suit that fit hi

the civilians. A wolf stal

expression I couldn't read-so

at the lak

't a qu

s," I

n," he said, his voice low. "Sh

lot of thing

ng my oxygen. "My arm was broken. I was concussed. I remember someone dr

was her," I fi

hing my face for a lie

e asked. His voice was rough, li

ave mattere

uth to answer, b

Dante. If you knew it was me who almost

ayed

u would have just hated me fo

linc

t, but I saw it. A cra

," he said, gr

e my o

the car,

llroom, through the lobby,

rought his

black s

into the pa

the door, the sound

start th

e steering wheel,

d, staring out the wi

my voice hollow. "Does it un-flay

d to loo

wirling with a turbulence I h

ena

hone

ttered the moment in

d at the

fi

esit

looking away. "She pr

sed the

ed through the speakers. "Hel

face tra

d, replaced instantly by the col

e you?" h

she sobbed. "Please, Dan

ne wen

he engine roared like a

't look

k if I wante

eway, tires screeching, racing

ing the city blur by, realizing that even the