Always a Stand-In

ie's

ke all the air had been

ay, his breathing uneven,

me, I wasn't rel

terr

feared what

eared that she

cing. Daniel had been my husband for years. T

ith Lena's words echoing

ruly know

came out hoarse, ba

s flickering between me an

ly. "Oh, come on, Daniel. Let the girl

ed, my th

re

was

t his sides, his body rig

hy? Afraid she'll finally

breathe, to think, but the weight of their words p

voice was firmer now, cu

panic flickering in them. "Soph

t his Sophi

an desperate

e kne

el's

t in he

ubt. T

set before, but this

didn't stop this now, it would gro

t could

he was

e wasn't a

ars trying to use her

the time in the world. "Tell me, Daniel," she drawled.

ned. I felt m

I did

we

me grand rom

n something I

the woman I loved walked away.

erything I need

stra

to f

d her for all th

to Sophie. "Tell me, sweetheart, did your darling

t bob as she swallow

. "Oh no, de

sion flickered across

le

ed at me,

er gaze, her eyes

just aski

s aski

t time, I had no

ie's

e someone had pulled t

a was Daniel'

he wa

there was

never kn

rembled. "

slightly, but no

at moment

his fir

his fir

"Looks like someone forgot to mentio

to breathe. "Who

sts. "Sophie, let's talk

e was firm. "

ng a hand through his ha

The fact that I married a man who was in

's not what

"Because right now, it feels like I was just a replacem

w clenched tol

hit th

ing her purse. "Well, this has been fun, but

n just enough to whisper somethin

know what

dn't

ee was the man I loved standing

s the worst co

iddle of the café, my h

he had destroyed som

I had in m

f her words pressing against my

irst love

o was

myself to look at Daniel. He hadn't moved, standing

ded-him to s

thi

k at me, his lips pressed to

thing insid

" My voice was quiet, but it carried ever

d raked a hand through hi

laugh. "Not here?

g. "This isn't a conversation we sh

ecrets?" My voice wavered as I took a step back. "

darkened. "Tha

ied to someone for years and finding out from someone else

as slight-barely

ly made m

oat burning. "When you're ready to st

away before I could

Da

n't st

el's

t he

use I wa

w, there was nothing I could say

eserved

r the truth me

ready f

t

calm the raging storm inside me. My mind was alrea

rown the fi

ime before everything I had tr

y pocket, snapping m

it out an

wn Nu

econd before answer

voice came thro

o, Da

mach d

uldn'

tighter. "What the

voice spoke again,

exactly wh

urse slipping throu

st

w

t years trying to e

re if I could s

ie's

membered th

house, my hands were still sha

self I wo

strong until

epped inside, every

me we had built together

ving in a str

er and walked into the living r

edding photo

t piano in

's cologne still li

like

t this man and believed him w

im, touched him, let myself t

gh slipped f

eally are just a s

made my st

ded a

ed the

wouldn't giv

find it

office, my hands ti

had s

me for me to

el's

rocess the call before

t thi

ed to

under m

ple who could send a message lik

d a re

t

appeared

h

hat, Daniel. Meet me at o

my jaw. Our

been ther

t nee

toni

didn't ha

ie's

rawer of Daniel's de

pt

d the

aperwork. Not

d for th

ck

hard, my p

ver locke

th

as dif

lip and h

t, there was

thought of

secr

li

h and grabbed a hai

with a s

ed the

open, revealing a s

mach f

one, my fingers tremblin

scanned

fr

f the letter, in delica

y own