I was in our bedroom, the pristine, minimalist room that always felt

f the bed, his express

ut and brushed a stray strand of hair from my forehead. His touch felt like a spider crawling on m

ewind time to that morning, when I wa

om his hand. "Wher

ond. "It's with Scarlett. It's going to ma

voice flat and dead. "And I w

ng sigh, as if I were a

oncussion," he said, tapping his own head li

my life," I said, sitting up, ignoring the wav

even mean? I made you, Ava. Every gallery, every award, every bit of praise you've e

tch

rical. This isn't about the painting.

us," I spat. "

l display. "Don't you see? I'm trying to give you the greatest inspiration of all! A rival! A reflection

ere, holding a tray with a glass of wate

thirsty," she said, her

mother's old watercolor set, the cheap, student-grade paints she'd used. It

Scarlett walked over, her cur

" I said, my voice

h. It sprang open, and the contents spilled onto the floor. The brittle, cracke

arefully constructed dam that held

ream tore from my

her away from the mess on the fl

a mask of shock and fear. She looked

he stammered. "I

cross the room in two steps and grabbed

ugh, Ava,"

n he sl

stinging with a hot, sharp pain. The room fell silen

was always more subtle, more psychologic

into a protective embrace. "Shh, it's okay," he murmured to

ett's shoulder, his eyes f

my cheek a burning confirmation o

y voice barely a whisper

yer? You mean the one from the firm I have on a multi-millio

door. "Go wait for me downstairs, h

rned back to me, his dem

are store. It's doing so well lately, isn't it? That new contract with Hayes Corp's constr

od ran

dn't," I

ake them. I can break them. I can wipe out their entire retirement with a

ed. He had me. He had

to go downstairs. You are going to get on your knees. And you are going to apologize to Scarlett for f

plessness burned my e

ed closer, his voice a venomous whisp

n their own accord. I went downstairs to the living room

. Liam stood behind me, a

throat. My body trembled with

ank to my knees on t

fixed on the floor. "I'm sorry. I

eight, crushing the air from my