lid

elt colder than

he pavement in uneven rhythm, my heart still pounding

's furi

ing under the d

on when he finall

ed again and agai

wly moved t

." I whisp

ange and comfortin

Not Vanessa. No

t was bette

ly inside me was now the onl

Da

age that had

sion I once

this

g into the driver's seat. My hands trembled slightly

nt, I just

ath

m the storm i

I murmured quietly

started

y one place I

o

e last

of the mansion two hours later, the h

an

uti

o

he night sky, and for a moment I simpl

e ye

ife had been spent

ing I had married

lieving I had

estroyed that ill

toward the front door slowly, my hee

r opene

he house

si

allway for a moment, letting my eyes wander ar

felt un

strange

and went straigh

bedr

nt so many nights waitin

it

pi

iev

oset and pulled

er seemed unusually l

't tak

few c

onal do

lap

I had gathered ove

nts exposing V

g else co

we

ive dr

oe

't matter

wly, carefully placing

y eyes landed on the small

dding

de by side in the pic

dly H

ly Ho

y In

. I though

me and stared at it

tightened

h I was," I

turned the p

no longe

ownstairs when I heard the sound

re body

that

mi

or opened mo

d through the hallw

he ap

messy, his face darker tha

ment he saw the s

es har

are you

but there was tensi

suitcase ha

lea

onds, neither

pped forwa

just walk o

augh escap

n't

y face as if trying

. about t

my hand t

on

cut through th

o explain anythi

running a frustrated

ew Vanessa was

d at hi

elieve

vier than anything

eved her

w tigh

eli

leed on the floor

lashed vivid

itting th

pa

eaching o

osing Vanes

trembled

for help... and yo

at followed fe

looke

I had known him, he did

def

plana

sil

ence was

itcase and walked

eli

stopped

ed sli

ha

for a long momen

urvive out t

his tone almost m

n n

ter eve

elieved I

le appeared

ised what peopl

door and wa

freeing as I placed my suitca

n days, I felt like

inally

ng th

the be

Damian B

the trunk, I heard

eli

urn

the front step

cast shadows a

k this is over?"

d at hi

I said

st the b

the car and st

the long driveway as t

, I glanced once in

still sta

chi

in his express

onfid

cont

nty he alw

as g

e was somet

ng dete

he night, Damian slowl

as cold whe

ing about Van

was a

added

Ameli

ightened o

know where

im apartment filled with shadows, V

red where Damian had

burned

een lit up in

had just

me leaving the mans

at the image fo

e slowl

erous

whispere

you've wo

ightened arou

idea what you

arkened wi

promise

pped to a chi

ll regr