not

ray to pale yellow. My phone sat on the nightstand. Silent. Waiting. I had turn

nk y

hreat. No explanation. Just gratitude, like I had

ed when I thought he would shout. He never grabbed when I thought he would gra

tood in the shower until the water ran cold. Then I d

ed on the

is six in t

cted. "And I kn

sheets rustling. Then her v

happ

envelope. The key. The photograph. The

ng time. When she finally di

ht now. I am com

ri

ow what he does. You are not having a conver

kno

still standing i

Or maybe I did, and I did

d when she was frustrated. "I will be there in twenty minutes. Do not open t

hung

go. Essentials only. No photographs. No letters. Nothing that could be

velope was still inside. The key was still inside. And the p

once. I can make

ppy once. Before I knew what he was. Before I learned that his

not knock. She had a key. She walked in lik

" she

the

she grabbed my arm. "

ya,

what? For him to show up here? For him to take you bac

ee. "I need to kno

t stand that you got away. He is here because he need

is d

a fr

before I could stop them. But once they were o

she wh

The cafe. The trembling hands. The medical fil

arms crossed. When I fin

is l

. I called his siste

id them to

ri

u are. My ex found me two years after I ran. He told me he had changed. He t

not

et him talk. Because I gave him one conversation." She grabbed my shoulders.

at she never talked about. Priya had saved my life. She had given me

throw it all away for a

ht," I said.

grabbed my bag. We

meone k

iya looked at me.

ting anyone?"

ok my

ain. Slower this

. Pepper spray. She held it up and crept tow

dy wen

it?" I w

er expression was strang

an," she said. "He

. My favori

hey were

se. She closed the door and locked it. She set the roses on the k

need to move faster. If he knows where y

l. Every stem. Damian never did anything halfway. When he loved you, it was overwh

one b

A text from an

mething. The man who hired Marcus to find you is not me. It is someone else. Someone who wants t

screen. My han

ulder. She read the mess

e said. "Who

what Damian had just told me. Someone else was l

he only one who