my head worse. A doctor had put three stitches in my scalp

ressed to the bandage on my head. As I steppe

ively around Charly Mack. Her face was buried in

"I never should have left. I was just scared. I didn' t

her at parties over the years, laughing and drinking wit

ghter. "It' s okay, Cha

ickered with something-guilt, may

d, his voice strain

said, my own voic

mad. Coleton and I... we have a lot of history." She looked up at him with wide, innocent

years I had given him. He just stood there, silent, his a

a triumphant little smile

ugh. It was a sound that see

directly at Coleton. "You don'

alked away, no

received a job offer months ago, from a prestigious rehabilitation clinic

t was in

t was filled with memories, every corner holding an echo of our time together. The special railings

toiletries. I took down the photos from the corkboard in the kitchen-pict

hair, but I had baked him a cake, and his friends had come over. In the picture, I was leaning down to light the can

nd tore it into tiny pieces. I let the

. I had to

ang. It wa

casual, as if nothing had happened. "I wo

s. "I had some

have a board meeting, and I want you to ch

the past three years. I was his physical

id, my voice b

ern building felt alien to me now. I found him in

as perched on the edge of his desk

Coleton some lunch. It' s his favorite, from that little Italian place we us

et, ensuring he ate healthy, low-inflammation foods to aid his reco

professional instincts taking over. "It' s too

' m fine, Arminda. I' m not an inva

sta, moaning in pleasure. "Go

e clutched his side, his face turning pale and sweaty. The ri

aced a bottle of digestive enzyme

and walked ou

d me, I heard Charly' s

on' t let her boss you around. She should b

choing in my ears. But what hurt more was what I didn' t hear. I d

loved her enough to let her poison him, to let her insult the woman w