AgnesBack at the villa later that night, the double doors leading to our balcony stood open, letting in the cool night air and the distant sound of waves crashing against the shore. The storm had passed, leaving behind a clear sky sprinkled with stars. Thea had long since gone to bed after a crash
AgnesThe moment Thea screamed, Elijah’s eyes snapped open. He was out of bed in an instant, not bothering with clothes. I scrambled after him, grabbing his discarded t-shirt from the floor and yanking it over my head as I rushed to follow.My heart pounded in my chest as we raced down the hallway,
“I’m making mine with pineapple,” she announced, which sparked a good-natured debate between her and Elijah about whether pineapple belonged on pizza.I stayed out of it, content to watch them banter as I chopped vegetables and grated cheese.After dinner—the pizza was probably the best I’d ever had
AgnesThe rest of our vacation passed in a blur. We spent our days in the sun, splashing in the ocean and exploring the town, and our evenings were spent under the stars with nothing but each other for company.It was nice, and it was even more relaxing than I had hoped.But when we finally arrived
“Do you recognize this?” the detective asked, sliding the bag across the table to me.I picked it up with trembling hands, turning it over to examine it more closely. It was pitiful, really—whatever it had been was now just a tattered scrap, mud-stained and torn almost beyond recognition.But then I
AgnesI barely slept that night. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her—my baby, alone and afraid in a dark cave. I imagined her cries echoing off the stone walls, growing fainter and fainter until they stopped altogether.By the time morning arrived, my eyes were swollen and my throat was raw. But
I nodded, trying to ignore the cold fear creeping up my spine. I hated enclosed spaces—always had. The thought of entering those dark tunnels made my chest tight with panic. But if my baby had been in there, if she’d died alone in the dark... I could endure a few hours of discomfort.The cave entran
AgnesI floated back to consciousness slowly, like surfacing from deep water. The first thing I became aware of was the softness beneath me—a bed, not the cold cave floor. The second was a small, warm body curled against my side, and a tiny hand resting on my stomach.Thea.I opened my eyes, blinkin
Elijah, noticing the tension leaving my shoulders, offered me a soft smile. “And I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t sexy as hell when you get like that.”I blushed and looked away. “Stop it…”“But I mean it,” he murmured, his voice growing husky as he leaned closer to me. His lips brushed mine ever so
AgnesElijah gently pulled me out of the banquet hall before I could say another word.We reached the nearest bathroom—a small powder room off the main hallway—and Elijah ushered me inside, locking the door behind us. Without a word, he turned on the faucet and soaked a washcloth in cold water.“Her
My hand tightened around my wine glass, and I felt a flicker of heat race through my veins, which I quickly pushed down with a big gulp of wine. It wasn’t enough, though. “Water, please,” I said abruptly to the bartender. “Extra ice.”The bartender nodded and handed me my glass. I chugged half of it
Agnes“Hold still,” I muttered around the pins that were pinched between my lips. “I’m almost done.”“But it tickles,” Thea whined.I sighed, sitting back on my heels to survey my work. The pink dress had turned out even better than I’d imagined—the fabric caught the light just so, and the purple em
Thea was already back from day camp when I arrived, sprawled on the living room floor with a coloring book and a horde of new crayons—which we’d certainly be finding under the couch for years to come. She looked up as I entered.“Mommy!” She jumped up and ran to hug me. “How was work?”“It was good,
AgnesI straightened my blouse one last time before pushing open the glass door to the design department. It had been almost a month since I’d last set foot in the office—first because of the fire, then because of everything with Thea and the house rebuild.I wasn’t nervous, exactly, but there was a
“Thank you.” I took a sip, letting the rich flavor roll over my tongue. “For everything. Not just the wine.”He smiled. “You don’t need to thank me, Agnes. None of this would have happened without you.”“That’s not true. You’re the one who went to see Olivia. You’re the one who believed her crazy st
Agnes“Your eyes are drooping, kiddo.”“Are not!” Thea insisted, even as her eyelids fluttered shut for a moment as she said that. “I’m just… blinking.”I snorted and shut the picture book I was reading. “Those are some awfully long blinks, Thea. Your new room will still be here when you wake up in
We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the house together. Thea insisted on opening every drawer, looking into every closet, and testing every light switch. Elijah and I couldn’t help but join her in this endeavour.The builders really had outdone themselves, and my mind was already racing wit