av

rifts from the other side of the

the wine in my g

Nathan says. "You don't even

creeping onto my lips. "That night was the only t

hases an unknown sha

e that makes sense." I ans

e are still good women out there.

chuckle slipping through. "I already

ena betrayed you, yes I'm aware.

s still there, buried under ambition and

know this girl. One night in a hotel

ask for anything. She just...left even though I w

you? You think she'd accept you now even

hing for her to reclaim that nigh

antic fool, y

pe has kept me

ious stranger," he says with a sigh. "

ank

ne cli

the last of my wine, and close my eyes briefly

move from something that never had a name, y

into my Porsche Cayenne and pull onto the busy ro

.

hours

t I came for and

g from work. The sound of horns a

hing in my side mirror, a bl

fic and follows me closely as I appro

noid... but the car sticks to me

oice tight. "Track my car and get me th

e voice replie

sharp U-turn, hoping

s when it

me. It hits my car from

ng out of lane. I slam the

s too la

small sch

g, his small frame c

teering wheel. A sharp pain splits through my skull, and

st like smoke without

rs, drawn by the sound of scree

stumble out with bloo

thing

her, broken. Confusion

s through the

uts, running forward, an

ree

ing up in

a voice shouts from

lding me upright as I stumble

my forehead, cl

an for this

r, I blink hard and that

neeling beside him, compressing his che

o

ear. Threatening to

st, she snaps her head up and

nd grabs the front of my s

hest weakly over and over, her tears shattering someth

my voice cracks. "There was a car...so

sound very

e is here!" a

the siren grows louder. A paramed

drain of all strength,

tly on the stretcher. His ar

f need be," one of them says, almost mechanically. "

ruptly. "No. No, I'

Wheeling the boy into the ambulance, and sl

nd says as she comes facing me

ere's nothing to say. I don't e

get into

f ahead of us, wailing

h a breaking breath, clenching

st destroyed the only goo

ists my

ind like a punch. I don't care

hope I haven't just