Chapter 44

Adam unscrewed the bottle of alcohol and tilted it, measuring out an appropriate amount into a glass before passing it to me.

I swallowed the lump that was rapidly rising in my throat, uncertain if I should go through with it or not. I had been the one to request this, yet never once had I ever considered drinking something like this. Fear of the unknown and uncertainty circled around me as I held onto the glass before me hesitantly. Even though a part of me wanted to turn away from what was about to happen, something inside felt compelled to stay and see it through till the end.

“I’m not forcing you, Leilani. It’s up to you.”

Adam had chosen to take me to his unit, just one door down from ours. We found ourselves in his kitchen, perched atop the tall barstools which enabled us to make eye contact with ease. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation as he waited for me to do something.

Suddenly memories of my mother drinking resurfaced from the depths of my mind. These memories were