ng hands. Sebastian's name blinked across

dn't a

t

egs threatening to give out beneath me. I stared at hi

dn't. It

en the message m

k

h the static in my head. "Isabe

n't fin

ed casually across her chest. "Well, I guess both men will be talking about you

tarily breaking through the fo

"Just returning a document.

curled around the edge of the door. "If y

g little wave. "But you might want to brace yourself, s

she turned an

e door so hard it r

hat followed

ghtly around myself as if I could keep everything

beside me. "Seb

ded n

she wh

my phone. It had

t silence fe

o call again,

said cautiously. "Maybe it's bette

him to know. I didn't even want Victor to know. Th

y touched my arm. "I know. Bu

ice cracking. "Do you

e to walk away from toxic people. That do

e phone buzzed again. Th

ge from S

it like it m

ast

it's no

. My brea

it's n

That I moved on? That I'm

You need to decide if you're going

Then slowly

e

it's not your c

. My thumb hovered over the block button, but

another messa

ast

s it, I

d was a tangled mess of memories, regrets, and all th

k shattered

ligh

andin

e door, her body tense.

pened it, it w

s Seb

y and confusion, like he'd come ru

locked

earchin

an

ery

s tight, controlled-but the storm beneath it was unmi

mouth, but n

what cou

he'd broken me once and I di

continued, stepping inside without waiting

ds slic

t I put a hand on her shoulde

uietly. "It's

brows furr

s yo

etween us

if he couldn't quite believe what

know until recently. And I didn't tell you

y his mouth opened and closed, t

voice trembling but gaining strength. "You let me walk

aw clenched. "I do care.

because as for me I am not interes

le

d that

," I whispered. "Not money, not suppo

slowly. "You can hate me. You can shut me out. Bu

legs were shaking.

a protective h

-softened. "You were always th

rned and w

icked shut

e that, the

no turning

astian's departure wa

rapping around me, clingi

door he had just walked out of. Something inside me felt like it

hing me cautiously, like I mi

?" she as

ght away. Because

s ti

n two versions of myself-the girl who once loved Sebastian with everything she h

ispered. "Not like a confrontation. Not with h

g about this situation w

I thought I could protect it... this little piece of peace I found. I

ut she sat beside me, her warmt

"I just wanted something of

said, "That something-your baby-is sti

tinctively resting ag

began to breathe aga

wn Nu

row

aned over.

ed. Then

el

other end was c

Isab

es

s requested your presence at the hospital tomor

umped into

.. k

't say. Just that he wants

l too far, but the anxiety was

at me with con

ants to see

ed. "You think T

had, he'd have called tonight. This fe

n be ready for whate