ck fog in my head, but t

, a cruel counterpoint to

n't open my eyes, but

going to

was

M

th a fake concern that

oman's voice answered

ss

ew ma

n handle a little post-op pain. The important thin

idn

ven him

brilliant, charismatic Mark

real shot at the life he dreamed of, the li

't hes

s a

, the final piece in the foundation o

Mark said, his v

re of his hand on mine,

Sarah. She's

ne her part," Jes

ou can't have a sick, tired artist clinging to you when you're about to become

llowed was more dam

king at Jessica, his ambition overridi

cian, and I w

dio, two creative souls who were sup

while he w

ses to pay for

world to get his demo to the right people, w

ody from my childhood that I rewrote just for him

s our

huge," Jessica continued, her v

raw, so emotional. Calling it 'Jessi

ill that had nothing to

lull

iven her

piece of my soul I had ever sha

idney, he took my art, m

ed away, replaced by a

ved out a piece of my own body, had betrayed me

r, the pressure on

eir footst

lingering drugs, fo

le and white, smel

doorway, his back to me,

healthy,

ed like

rried smile on his face wh

awake. How ar

him, my throat to

ront of me w

-out thing, a cavity in my chest right nex

ver, stroki

felt like

s a complete success," he said,

ing the kidney. You saved

ss my forehead, bu

, his eyes lighting up a

he said, alrea

date for the single. This is it, Sar

to notice the

o notice the dea

said, his voice rus

have a meeting. I'll b

before the words finished

few moments later

sy man," she said, maki

hat pretty manager of his. They looked li

as a final, brutal

leaving, he was

ticket to a new lif

ull in my side, a permanent reminde

hysical thing, a crush

something else wa

, hard

was just a st

o find out how

e on the bedside tabl

ens of missed cal

ntacts until I found the

vi

ried to sign Mark a year ago but had also, in a q

nd I had politely shut D

anym

d the ca

id, my voice

have a propos