He was standing in nothing but a pair of loose jeans that barely hung onto his hips. My gaze shifted to the left of him, and something in me soured further at the sight of Emmalaine peeking out from Caeson’s doorway at the end of the hall. She was wearing one of his shirts, which left little to the
CHARLOTTETaide rolled off his back, pushing up to his hands and knees as he stared at the ground.He shook his head back and forth in a repetitive motion before another bloodied grin took over his features. “I gotta say, I’ve missed you, man.”I was puzzled by what he meant, but Mads just scoffed a
CHARLOTTE I anxiously tapped my finger against the side of my phone, my eyes fixed on the little word written under my text. ‘Read.’ I’d sent him this message just after we’d concluded our sham of a meeting. Madeline had wanted to talk to me, but she gave me the space I needed. The triple
CHARLOTTE I sat in the library, my notes spread out in front of me, but my mind was somewhere else. I had been trying to study for midterms, but something felt off. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Maybe it was everything that was going on with Vance, or maybe I just missed my sister even mor
CHARLOTTE After my conversation with Vance, I gave up on studying. I’m becoming one of those girls who let their men problems rule their lives. It’s pathetic. My mind was too busy running through itself multiple times to actually focus on my textbooks. So, I returned whatever books I had to, an
CHARLOTTEMadeline wasn’t home… again.My fingers flew over the screen of my phone idly. The sun was barely out, the scent of coffee brewing hung in the air, and the house was silent. These were moments of the day I usually enjoyed, but lately, with Madeline’s new schedule of sneaking out in the ear
He took a seat across from me, and we ate in silence.“Thank you,” I whispered when I finished. The sound of pounding coming from outside probably drowned out my words, but Reigh tilted his head in response and continued eating.I took a sip of my coffee, feeling Reigh’s eyes on me. His gaze turned
CHARLOTTEI laid on my back and stared at the ceiling.My thoughts and emotions were a mess, a jumbled-up mix of feelings I didn’t want to get into. I let one of my hands fall to my neck until my fingers brushed over my mark, over the smooth plane of healed skin, only disturbed slightly by its prese
CHARLOTTEI had no intention of sharing visiting hours with the boys.There was no reason to put myself through that kind of torment.The moment I found out Madeline was awake, I demanded that Caeson drop me off at the care home where I had left Da’ana. I wasn’t ready to deal with my father’s case,
TAIDEThe steady beeping of Madeline’s heart monitor was the only sound in the hospital room.The rhythmic pulse filled the silence, a reminder that she was still here, still breathing, still alive.But it didn’t feel like enough. Not when she lay there motionless, her skin pale against the crisp wh
The foundation still looked solid though.I stepped onto the creaky porch, staring at the front door.This was where Charlotte grew up.I felt something tighten in my throat. She probably had good memories here, but I knew the ones she remembered most were the bad ones.I couldn’t imagine what it wa
CAESONI killed the engine of the car and leaned back in my seat, exhaling slowly.It didn’t do anything to relieve the pressure in my chest. The air in the car was thick with silence, the kind that had weight, like it could smother you if you let it.Charlotte hadn’t moved yet. She sat in the back
Like we didn’t matter.My nails dug into my palms as memories slammed into me. I could still see it—the nights he reeked of alcohol, his head lolling to the side, completely oblivious to the fact that he had two daughters who needed him to pick himself up and be… more than the person he was choosing
CHARLOTTEThe car ride was too quiet.Too damn suffocating.The weight of everything that had happened in the span of a few hours pressed down on me—Madeline, the triplets, my father. My hands trembled against my lap, and I clenched them into fists for the umpteenth time, trying to force myself to f
It was only after the shock of silence that followed that I realized I’d spoken those words out loud. Dot gasped, reaching for me instantly, pulling me into an embrace. I didn’t expect it to be as comforting as it was. And so I didn’t fight her. She guided me to the steps outside the hospital, sitt
CHARLOTTE It felt like a slap to the face. The doctor’s words hit me so hard that I lost my footing. My knees wobbled, and before I could steady myself, the plastic cup in my hand slipped through my fingers and crashed onto the tiled floor. Water splashed across my shoes, soaking into the hem of m
CHARLOTTE The reality of the situation hit me with frightening clarity. Madeline was dying. I moved before I could think, panic exploding through my chest as I ran forward and fell to my knees beside her. My hands hovered uselessly, trembling as I tried to find something, anything, to hold o