ed in for ten years, Aria sensed something was wrong the mome

the rug. After opening the doo

or Julian, the birthday gift he once sa

d a cold, lifeles

snowy fields had been taken down, replaced by a solo art por

e pink velvet, and a couple's scent

r for five years was gone, the w

Julian's voice cam

if showing off a renovation. "Lila said the place f

d over the empty windowsill, where sh

oser, his tone leaving no room for argument. "When

ter Lila got

o the bedroom to pack th

ore her flight. She didn't want to fight

just leaving like that

ngs, to beg on her knees, to cli

her suitcase and said calm

calm only infu

r?" he sneered. "Playing hard to get again

n have the energy to explain, push

, furious and unrestrained. "Don't

twenty-four-hour

form, Aria scanned items b

en just to scrape together enoug

rbell c

, her smile syrupy sweet. "O

our, she treated Ar

a bag of

don't want it.

jerky? Make it

like eating anymor

head down and

. She had to save five hun

hot soup station. "Add

la suddenly shoved her arm. The entire bowl of sc

exposed skin on Aria's arm in

rom screaming, her eyes locking on

ch and stepped back, her voice shaking. "Y-you scalded

Julian pushed

treaming. "Julian! She hates that I'm p

n filling his eyes. "This again? At least

to explain, but he s

med into the sharp

A

ding. Her vision went dark as

d Lila up in his arms and

t close to her one more time, and I'll m

store, curled on the floor, one hand p

ut and asked hesitantly, "

wly pushed herself upright.

irty-five

ter, she would board