had never known fell over the island. It was heavy, bro

d left my phon

ed around, trying to work my hands, still tied behind my back, into my fron

l. I hooked a finger around it and painstakingly

again, contorting my b

rcent

ed. One call.

se, trying to hit Nicole' s contact. My

ected. It ran

cem

me to v

d over me. I wanted to scream, to s

ad. He was a powerful man, a prominen

. He an

time to yourself after what you did to the Blakely memorial. I h

disapproving. He'd

They left me on an island! You have t

e retreat. A place for you to get your head straight. Honestly, after your be

othing here! Tara and Nicole du

cold. "Caleb is a good kid. I've been helping him. You should have been his mentor

hun

went black. The

trayal hit me like a physical blow, knocking the air

eating down on my back. The zip ties bit deeper into my sw

, sharing a milkshake. I remembered proposing to her under the stars at her fami

thought we had was a lie. It was all about image, about legacy, about wha

ty of it was a cruel joke. As darkness fell, the island came alive with new sou

from the tall grass j

gh my despair. This wasn't a re