days for the

y door s

" a guar

iately-I was

eing su

tairs, my legs tr

h my erratic heartbeat. The cut on my cheek had sca

nto the di

ad, casting a harsh, beautiful

was set

sat at t

his right han

t across

r me at the far end of the t

d without looking

sa

stoo

wearing

ght in Paris. It hung loose on her slender f

nounced. "Tomato basi

ed up th

he table, serving B

she cam

scent of her perfum

she wh

reen t

r my shoulder, down my arm, soaking i

t was s

up from the chair a

y bitch!"

opped th

d against t

with feigned terror. "She scared me! S

was on h

ask if I w

t the mess

arned. "Stop m

elled, clutching my arm. The skin wa

said calmly. "Debbi is trying.

o Debbi and kiss

soothed. "Go change. Al

oked

"And then apologize

nt. The room was starting to spin. The

oldly. "If you don't clean this up, I pull t

t me like a p

mot

only leverag

to my

ed pieces of the tur

g soup from the flo

n watc

irl," h

ded the edges

and, the shock, the b

onto the sou

n sighing, as if my unconsciousne

eturned in a sl

in a ste

p of a monitor w

a chair by the window

," he said, n

," I c

lass and brou

he straw

nd, his ey

?" he asked quietly. "Why ca

m your wife,

the gla

is watch. "Debbi has an art show do

ldn't let me open a flower shop because it wa

fflinks. "Rest. The doctor said you have a sys

alke

spital bed to go watch h

d five

ssed the c

or wal

It was Dr. Evans, a man w

ale as he looked at my injuri

ain. "I need you to tell him I'm stable. And then I need you

e," Evans said,

me if I stay

andaged face, then d

dded

spered. "During t