Gripping fear paralyzed me in place as I remembered the car tumbling down and our bodies following the rolling motion down the cliff. The screeching sound of metal twisting and breaking against the rocky wall still resonated inside my ears, making the hairs on my neck and arms stand up. After that, I couldn’t recall. It was blank. What happened to my friend?The room was dim, and I couldn’t see much. For some reason, I couldn’t move my neck, so I moved my left arm, touching my way along the hospital bed to find the red button to alert a nurse I needed help. The controller was usually on the wall near the headboard.My fingers fumbled along the seam of the bed liner, and as much as I tried to get to the damn button to punch it, I couldn’t find it.Someone needed to tell me if Kat was all right. I had to know!She couldn’t be dead. I did what I could when we crashed.Maybe I should have done more.Damn it.I was cursed.Everyone I loved ended up dead. I should have never allowed Kat to
I came to the conclusion that crushing Dominic’s heart was the only way to save him from the inevitable heartbreak that was bound to happen if he stayed with me. I was afraid that he would suffer the same fate as Kat.However, life had a cruel way of bringing me back to reality and reminding me that nothing was entirely safe. My past was always lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce and tear apart everything I held dear. My bad luck had followed me for as long as I could remember, and I was convinced that it would keep haunting me forever.I was a guarded person, and my walls were high and impenetrable for a reason. I knew that it was unfair, but I couldn’t help it. My experiences had made me cautious, and I wasn’t willing to risk exposing myself to any more hurt.As though I hadn’t been punished enough, Kat was released from the intensive care unit and was placed in my room after she pulled on a few strings. I hadn’t considered how awful she would look, and I hated myself even more w
Days passed, and eventually, the doctors removed my neck brace and changed my casts to more manageable ones. It offered me the freedom to move.Finally.They had also removed most of my bandages to let the wounds heal and dry out, but the scabs itched like crazy, and I almost would have preferred to keep them wrapped as I picked at them constantly.I still sported bruises in the inner corners of my eyes from when my nose broke, but they were now turning pale yellow. I was happy because Lena and Chuck were coming to see us at the hospital, and I didn’t want to look like I was hurt too much in the accident.I turned to face Kat in bed and showed her the back of my head.“Does it look bad? I have a temporary cowlick from lying down so much, and no matter how much I comb out my hair, it… keeps coming back!” I groaned, shoving the brush in my hair to make the swirl disappear.It was just the two of us today. Nate had grudgingly returned to work after Kat had furiously chased him away from h
Dominic POVI roamed around Katherine and Olivia’s house, grabbing things I thought they would need now that they were almost cleared for release. The doctors had suggested loose-fitting clothes so their casts would fit under them.Finding Katherine some clothes that fit the doctor’s description was daunting since she mostly only wore designer outfits that were too fitted to hide anything underneath. However, when I pulled on Olivia’s closet doors, most of her wardrobe consisted of baggy workout sets or loungewear. I figured Olivia wouldn’t mind if I grabbed some extras for Katherine and stuffed everything in a duffle bag I had brought from my place.Olivia’s friends were back from their honeymoon, and I had asked them to wait another week before coming for a visit to let Olivia’s and Katherine’s wounds and bruises heal more. I thought the girls felt better, so Lena and Charles were finally coming into town so they could see them.Since I would escort them to the girls’ room, I thought
The room was dark when I woke up from thrashing on the bed. I had unconsciously tried to jerk my right leg, and it shot bolts of pain up my thigh and down to my toes. My nightmares were now a mix of the car crash with my family and the one with Kat.I hated it.Kat’s bed stirred. I heard her exhale deeply before the bedside light opened, and a low glow filled the room.“It’s getting worse, Liv. Do you want me to call my brother? You don’t have nightmares when he’s with you.”I groaned, angry at my inability to make the dreams stop without Dominic present. I didn’t want to need him, but I was growing tired from my lack of sleep, and God knows I needed some if I wanted my body to be in ship-shape as it healed. I was also angry at myself for keeping Kat from a good night’s sleep since she had moved into the same room as me. Luckily, I was being let go from the hospital later today, so Kat wouldn’t have to deal with my thrashing anymore.“No. I don’t need him,” I replied exasperatingly and
As I sat on the hospital bed, I gazed at the sparse belongings I had with me, all neatly packed and ready to go by the door. I had been waiting for Kat to return from her X-rays and medical tests so that I could see her one last time before I left.Dominic, who had been sitting beside me, remained silent after his mother surprised us with her visit. Her revelation left me anxious about the situation. I wondered how Mrs. Moore had managed to locate Richard or vice-versa. The thought made little sense to me, and I couldn’t wrap my head around it. I had to find a way to change my mind when I became short of breath from my racing heart.Despite the awkwardness that filled the air, when Kat returned to our room, she tried to make small talk with us. However, Dominic and I remained quiet for the most part and only answered with idle single words.Dr. Fraser was concerned about my health after taking my blood pressure, which was alarmingly high. I, however, was determined to leave the hospita
Dominic POVI stepped outside, and the frigid wind caught me off guard, sending shivers down my spine. The gusts were so strong that my coat flapped wildly, and I had to tug at the end to keep it close to my body. However, the chilly air felt invigorating, and I took a deep breath to fill my lungs with the crisp scent of winter. I looked up at the overcast sky, watching the low clouds move swiftly and the trees lining the entrance of my building swaying back and forth. Despite the cold, I welcomed the refreshing sensation that the weather brought, hoping it would clear my troubled mind and offer me some clarity.As I settled into the back seat of a cab, I found myself lost in thought, replaying my last conversation with Olivia. I knew she was going through a tough time, and I wanted to be there for her. Olivia had been hurt before, and I didn’t want to add to her pain. Yet, I couldn’t resist the way she looked at me with her big, vulnerable eyes. It was as if she was silently pleading
I sulked in the front seat of Nate’s rented car. We were on the road to Portlet—wherever that was.Nate had appeared in Dominic’s apartment unannounced and in a hurry. He urged me to follow him and led me to a parked car waiting outside. Once inside the car, he refused to disclose our destination, despite my repeated pleas to know where we were headed. We drove northward on the highway, passing several small villages along the way.Had I not known Nate before or who he was best friends with, I would have been afraid of being kidnapped.After maybe two hours and a half of driving, Nate turned onto a straight and narrow road. A small sign told us we were being welcomed to Portlet, and I looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of the place we were headed to, but all I could see were snow-covered farming fields stretching as far as the eye could see. We were close to the coast, and I could smell the salt in the air.I had heard that people who lived near the coast rarely suffered from run
One year laterIt was my last night at Crowns, the pub where I had worked for the past five years. As I walked in, the place was buzzing with clients, most of whom I recognized as regulars. It was a relief to see fewer drunken visitors since the tourist season had ended, but it also meant fewer tips since the summer was the peak of our year.I made my way to the back of the bar, where my colleagues Luke and Martin were training my replacement and playfully throwing dishcloths at each other for something funny that was said. Joining in on the banter, I laughed at their silly antics.As the night went on, I felt sentimental about leaving Crowns. It had been my home away from home for so long, and I had made so many memories there. But I was also excited about my new job as a conservator at the museum, where I would specialize in the conservation of pieces from the 1800s to 1900s era. The items I would care for and conserve consisted mostly of home appliances, decorations, and furniture,
I arrived at the restaurant earlier than agreed upon and asked the server to sit in the bar section while I waited for the person I was meeting to show up. I had chosen this place purposefully so my guests wouldn’t cause a scene—not that I thought they would make one, but just in case.The restaurant was a chic place downtown, and I had dressed for the occasion, flaunting a beautiful smoky-grey cocktail dress with tulle sticking out from the bottom. It was one of Nadia’s designs, and I had paired it with a flat black shoe. The dress was shoulderless, so I brought a shawl to keep my back and my arms warm because whenever I was nervous, my hands became blocks of ice.Earlier in the week, I had a scheduled appointment at the hospital. During the appointment, the medical team replaced my thick and heavy plaster casts with new, removable plastic moulded ones with Velcro straps. The new casts were a welcome relief, as they were less bulky and more comfortable, allowing me to move around with
Lena helped me bring my stuff back to my room. Afterward, she called Chuck to ask if he could come over and back us up. Chuck was over six feet tall and shaped like a football player. He was a big softy, all mush and gooey on the inside and would never hurt anyone, but Richard didn’t need to know that. My stepfather wouldn’t dare try anything if I had him with me.The next thing on my list was finding out where Richard was staying. We would have the upper hand if I could find him before he saw me—at least, that was what I thought. After that, I simply needed to find my old phone to retrieve important things from it.“Okay,” called Lena from the hallway. “Chuck is on his way as soon as he gets off work tonight. It’s an hour-long flight, so he’ll get here around eight-ish. Did you call McHottie to tell him we’re back in town?”I winced and started chewing the inside of my cheek. When Lena walked inside my bedroom and saw me wriggling with anxiety, she huffed and crossed her arms disappro
Dominic POV“You understand that what I’m doing right now could cost me my license to practice, right?”I nodded to Patrick, and he continued pulling out the information I had requested.Patrick McKamey was responsible for everything legal in my life and business. My father had done business with the lawyer before his passing, and since Patrick had been a long-time family friend and ally, I continued using his services after the torch was passed down to me.I called Patrick a few days ago, requesting he get as much information as possible on Olivia’s mother’s last Will and Testament. It wasn’t easy, especially since it wasn’t at the request of Olivia herself, but Patrick made a few phone calls to some of his acquaintances in North America. After a few days of digging, he called me when he received the crucial information I was waiting for.“I promise I’ll deny your involvement if anything happens, Patrick. Besides, I’m not planning on using any of this outside of these four walls. You
Lena gently shook me. I groaned and stretched my body over the sofa before staring at her. She wore a knit sweater and had done her hair in a high ponytail. The cottage-look suited her well, I thought.When she saw I was up, she smiled and offered to make us breakfast.I beamed at her suggestion, feeling my stomach rumble, and slowly righted myself in a sitting position.After I ended my call with Dominic, I retreated close to the fire and fell asleep. The warmth of the flames heated my blanket and lulled me into a comfortable slumber. I felt much more rested and ready to tackle another day of killing time.Nate was supposed to return today but couldn’t stay the entire weekend. He was coming over with a few supplies, clean clothes, and hopefully, new board games. Lena and I had already played with everything we had and were tired of doing the 2000-piece puzzle of a boring fruit basket.I heard the clatter of dishes and moved away from the sofa, ambling into the kitchen to help her. Len
Warm hands glided over my stomach and pulled me back into warmer skin.I purred in delight, wiggling my bottom over Dominic’s erection digging into my lower back. I could recognize those hands anywhere, even with my eyes closed. They were soft, with a touch of callus inside his palms from lifting weights when he went to the gym. His unmistakable smell of aftershave also lingered on his skin, even after a full day of work. That smell was intoxicating to me.Dominic slipped a hand between my thighs and pressed a finger on my clit, rubbing it in circles and making me hot with desire. He hadn’t touched me in such a long time that I thought I would come undone by him simply applying a little more pressure.“Do you like it when I do this to you?” Dominic mumbled in my ear before sucking my earlobe and kissing and licking my neck.Panting, I arched my back and opened my legs wider for him to gain better access. “Always…”My fingers grabbed the sheets and bunched them in my fists while Dominic
I sulked in the front seat of Nate’s rented car. We were on the road to Portlet—wherever that was.Nate had appeared in Dominic’s apartment unannounced and in a hurry. He urged me to follow him and led me to a parked car waiting outside. Once inside the car, he refused to disclose our destination, despite my repeated pleas to know where we were headed. We drove northward on the highway, passing several small villages along the way.Had I not known Nate before or who he was best friends with, I would have been afraid of being kidnapped.After maybe two hours and a half of driving, Nate turned onto a straight and narrow road. A small sign told us we were being welcomed to Portlet, and I looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of the place we were headed to, but all I could see were snow-covered farming fields stretching as far as the eye could see. We were close to the coast, and I could smell the salt in the air.I had heard that people who lived near the coast rarely suffered from run
Dominic POVI stepped outside, and the frigid wind caught me off guard, sending shivers down my spine. The gusts were so strong that my coat flapped wildly, and I had to tug at the end to keep it close to my body. However, the chilly air felt invigorating, and I took a deep breath to fill my lungs with the crisp scent of winter. I looked up at the overcast sky, watching the low clouds move swiftly and the trees lining the entrance of my building swaying back and forth. Despite the cold, I welcomed the refreshing sensation that the weather brought, hoping it would clear my troubled mind and offer me some clarity.As I settled into the back seat of a cab, I found myself lost in thought, replaying my last conversation with Olivia. I knew she was going through a tough time, and I wanted to be there for her. Olivia had been hurt before, and I didn’t want to add to her pain. Yet, I couldn’t resist the way she looked at me with her big, vulnerable eyes. It was as if she was silently pleading
As I sat on the hospital bed, I gazed at the sparse belongings I had with me, all neatly packed and ready to go by the door. I had been waiting for Kat to return from her X-rays and medical tests so that I could see her one last time before I left.Dominic, who had been sitting beside me, remained silent after his mother surprised us with her visit. Her revelation left me anxious about the situation. I wondered how Mrs. Moore had managed to locate Richard or vice-versa. The thought made little sense to me, and I couldn’t wrap my head around it. I had to find a way to change my mind when I became short of breath from my racing heart.Despite the awkwardness that filled the air, when Kat returned to our room, she tried to make small talk with us. However, Dominic and I remained quiet for the most part and only answered with idle single words.Dr. Fraser was concerned about my health after taking my blood pressure, which was alarmingly high. I, however, was determined to leave the hospita