Three Times I Died, His Calls Unanswered

a high-end art storage fa

as in a climate-

lished stone, meant to evoke a flower pushing t

d over its

a piece I designed for my we

ger nodded, proce

paperwork, voices e

s and

rage of "friends"

ise. "Ellie! What a

u're not getting married to

is disbelief. "I

e've heard this lie. You

Desert Bloom." Envy fli

e syrupy sweet, "could I have this sculpture? It's stun

ocked by her audaci

if your wedding is a fabrication.

stung. This sculptu

peated, st

ising anger at my defianc

u wait outside? Let us girls

im a reass

then nodded cu

s gone, Chloe's

her friends fanning

o of high school hallways, wa

ked my ha

through

laps. Sharp, stingi

ure away from he

lpture from my grasp. It wasn't huge, but it was

ss tore at the shoulder. I stumbled,

ok out h

p.

heveled, humiliat

she purred. "Perfect fo

ger pricked my eyes.

hone rang

d. "Is she giving you the sculpture?" he a

"Ellie's being so understanding

her friends lifted "Desert Bl

r a moment, sh

ndant rushed ov

u okay,

bling. "The security fo

ompl

lice station. Filed a rep

rcus's villa, nursing m

ottsda

your report... it'

t? W

guardian, came in. Said it was all a misunderstanding am

nderst

my room op

pture, Ellie? You called t

ed innocence. "Ellie, you agreed to give it to

my voice trembling w

even ask to see the footage?

xplained. If you want to stay here, Ellie, you need t

taying much longer. And I don't need to

window, staring out at the me

ight, sleep

nstairs for a

was sile

hallway, pushed open a door

dy. A room I'd never been a

eath

architectural books, meticulously preserv

ntique sil

had give

funeral, I'd tearfully pre

for me. Forever." I was ten, t

, he'd worn it, or kept

after his rage, I assumed he

was. Display

hy