CHARLOTTE I watched the cat nibble on the can of tuna I’d placed on the kitchen island, its tiny pink tongue darting out to lap at the edges.Its fur was such a soft, dark fluff, and as I scratched behind its ear, it leaned into my hand, purring softly. I smiled to myself, feeling an unexpected war
CHARLOTTE I watched the cat nibble on the can of tuna I’d placed on the kitchen island, its tiny pink tongue darting out to lap at the edges.Its fur was such a soft, dark fluff, and as I scratched behind its ear, it leaned into my hand, purring softly. I smiled to myself, feeling an unexpected war
CHARLOTTEI glanced up at Caeson, catching the steady, unreadable expression he always wore. His gaze held mine, cool and unwavering, and for just a moment, something fluttered in my chest.I quickly shoved it aside, clearing my throat.“She’s staying then?” I asked, looking around the room. “We all
CHARLOTTE Turns out, she wasn’t a female cat. It was the other gender, of course. Funny thing to discover in the hours I’d had him. What was less funny, though, was realizing I might be a terrible cat mom. Why? Because I’d lost him. Or—someone had stolen him. That last idea seemed a lit
CHARLOTTE I felt a nervous flutter in my stomach as I trailed behind Reigh on our way to Taide’s room. My fingers twisted the hem of my shirt, trying to calm my growing anxiety. I didn’t know why I’d let Reigh get involved in this—or why I’d even told him anything in the first place. The topic
CHARLOTTE Taide straightened, raising his hands and leaning them on either side of the threshold above his head. “I don’t understand how this is supposed to work,” he said. “You want me to watch?” No. The thought came quick. But then again, I thought about it. Maybe there was an exhibitio
“We should do it in your room,” I said. Reigh looked at me, then Taide, before muttering, “Okay.” “Thirty minutes,” I said. A slow grin spread on his face. “Yes, ma’am.” I looked at Taide, repeating, “Thirty minutes.” He nodded his head. Okay. Okay. We were doing this. Thirty minut
He smirked down at me. “Had to be a lightweight, huh?” My smile only widened, and he brushed his thumb over the corner of my lips before pulling back. Reigh approached, hands free, and under the growing drunken haze, I studied Taide in nothing but low-strung shorts, and Reigh adorned lasciviousl
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