Caeson met his father’s eyes, blood dripping down the gash across his cheek, his neck and shirt soaked in blood, but he didn’t say a word. “This is hardly what I can do. Don’t forget it,” he shoved away from Caeson, leaving his body to go slack against the wall. Caeson’s breathing was heavy, keep
As I hurriedly explained what had just happened, I watched his face. Concern melted into understanding, and while I was glad he understood what I was saying, I felt a twinge of horror when I realized that he did not look the slightest bit… surprised. I pulled away from him, my hands balling into fi
In my periphery, I could see Caeson looking down at me with an expression I couldn’t decipher. But I could see it tear at him. He didn’t want Taide to know. “Let’s go,” Taide said, clasping my hand and leading me out. “Wait,” Caeson said, reaching for me. But Taide slapped his hand away, and I
CHARLOTTEI spent the next day with a feeling of semi-constant doom hanging over me. I had my meals in my room and remained holed up there until the evening when the ball was about to start.I could hear bustling and shuffling about as I got ready, and that combined with the amount of chattering I
I was about to whisper something to him when Reigh reached us. He was dressed the same way Taide was, his long hair pulled back in a neat, low ponytail. His hands were in his pockets, and he seemed almost awkward with the two of us. Everything about this atmosphere was weird.After a few seconds of
I let my head rest on his chest, just like I did with Taide, but this time, I closed my eyes and listened to the sound of his heartbeat.It grounded me, the steady thump thump thump of his heart.When the song ended, we pulled away from each other. It honestly felt like it all ended too soon. But wh
CHARLOTTETaide took off his suit jacket as he strode away from the door.I turned to Reigh, seeing him slide his hand into his pockets.I showed him the back of my dress. “Can you unzip me?”His footsteps came next, drawing closer.Taide looked up, now dressed down to just a vest and dress shirt as
“You.” I panted, “The both of you.”I turned my neck, seeing as Taide stood in the middle of the room. Waiting.I pushed away from Reigh as I reached for his hand and pulled him along. Towards the bed. When I let go, I climbed onto the soft foam, my hands and knees sinking into it before I looked at
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