Her Daughter's Funeral, Their Wedding Night

the faded wool rug. The fibers scratched against her soles, a

reathing was still erratic, her chest rising and falling in sharp, jagged

n. The screen flared to lif

the lock scree

. It was five years ago. Five years before the crash. Fiv

, tracking down her cheeks. She clamped a hand over her mouth, biting down hard on her own palm t

the cheap full-length mirror

slightly fuller, her eyes wide and naive, her long dark hair

pressed her fingertips into her abdomen, a phantom ache radiating thro

ing on her bedroom doo

th the back of her hand. She took a deep, shuddering breath, f

r and twisted

room. Joleen was wearing her crisp, black-and-white maid's uniform, t

voice in a harsh, frantic whisper. "Elenora! Why are

of her grief. Yes, now was not the time for sorrow. Sorrow was a luxury belonging to her past life. In this life, she only had room for sur

lenora's voice was hoarse,

ving for Boston in twenty minutes! He needs you to accompany him. You kn

no

ora's stomach. The image of Donovan shoving her into the bloody glass fl

walked to the edge of the twin b

said. Her voice was fla

the cotton of her pajama top. She shook her. "What is wrong with you? Do you know how lucky you are

s hands. A surge of pure, unadulte

force of the push made Joleen stumble backwa

h me," Elen

ning her careful makeup. "Elenora, please. We have nothing. If you don't keep h

had heard a thousand times in her past life. Her eyes

deadly, quiet register. "I am never following Donovan Montgomery arou

rous look in her daughter's eyes. She stood froz

oyer of the Montgomery estate, Do

He adjusted the cuffs of his shirt, his jaw tight. He lifted his left

s ann

rd, his head bowed respectfully. "Sir, should

perfectly styled dark hair. "No. Let her play her little games. S

ve leather shoes clicking sharply against the marble f

sperate, bruising grip and dragged her out of the bedroom, pulli

you are going to apologize!" Jo

p of the marble stairs. Then, she planted her feet. She

er squeaked sharply against the po

d through the c

ed around slowly, his brow furrowed in irrit

down the steps to apologize for keeping him waiting. He

the very top of the stai

s a mess. But it was her eyes that mad

and even... profound contempt, as if she were looking at a completely irrelevant, rotting corpse on the side of the road. It wasn't the usual desperate plea fo

ll the disgust and venom of her past life pour int