r

. No twist of tension in my stomach. No metal-gray eyes watching me from across

eedom didn't taste like vic

Ella's guest room. She'd opened her arms to me the moment I called her when

he'd whispered as she rubbed my

exactly the

Weak. Sh

part of me still hung back clinging to the man who

Kni

screamed. N

too. And so was indifference. And

backs hit

contract with shaking hands, still wonderi

hardly spoke to me unless i

sleep alone, be alone-despite livin

knew myself. Until Ella found me in her bathroom one night, staring at th

to be that wom

member who I was before Leon. Before I becam

e. Dozens of missed

n't a

oul

t

ke he hadn't emotionally starved me for 365 straight days. Bu

ifferent now. Someone wh

-

to the room with a bucket of ice c

said with a small smile,

s," I

e, nudging at me g

I whispered.

in my hand. "T

ot weigh heavy on the chest. The ki

one began b

bing for it b

n. You want me

Let him call. L

initesimal tenth of what I wen

-

e

ss was suff

tored all the transactions, even cal

ea where Ar

time in my entire

that I'd lost her. Th

, dodged around, and played for a fo

ng to be anything. But it

nged ev

blind to see

d placed on the dinner table, the sign

t willing t

t

ev