The Betrayal Within

sement as her only friend, Elsa, narra

ou're kidd

because we were both drunk, but the chemistry was electric. You needed to be

away from her face. "I mean, it's totally cool,

not as lucky as you, who have the perfect marriage

Lyra, a curious look on her face. "Hey,

please, don't get me wrong, El. I'm very happy for you. You

envy you." Elsa had a wistful expression on her face as she said that, but Lyra knew she meant well, despite how she might have sou

dent had occurred on her tenth birthday, and she'd worn a cloak of guilt ever since, blaming herself for her family's demise, because she had persisted on a birthday dinner in a luxurious restaurant that day. She'

n high school, and then it had gotten even more colorful on that fateful day,

ible smile to her face, and she chuckled whe

d. "I told you, I'm so envious of you. Xander adores you. Have you seen the way he look

the garage. "Like I always say, El, love will

y you met at the club," she added

on a love settee, at a rather secluded spot in the club, and how he'd left her wanti

you called

m kinda nerv

ever known you

now what to say to him when

sentence, as Lyra's phone rang

eaded, searching her

e screen and smile

silence on the other end, and Lyra's h

ot letting the fear she was start

his throat, and started in a clipped

the problem? Is

e early today. I'd like to have

ever calle

she could say anything else. The hand holding her mobile phone dropped lif

etched in her tone. But Lyra didn't really hear her. She just heard echoes of a familia

was defini

s eerily quie

crambled eggs and bread slices in front of her, watching her husband ea

, and the painful, aching silence that hung in the air between them. Now, it

er ate l

ing. Maybe she was just being paranoid.

nitely imagini

tempt to strike their first co

to chew with a lot of concentr

fusing to accept the cold s

usual," Zander finally replied a li

other question to keep their conversation going. She'd seen t

omething about his newfound appetite), when Zander said in a fla

opped, and her

nder looked up at her with hard, unemotional eyes, she knew she had made a mis

as not h