He Tortured, Her Unexpected

d and Eleanor Hayes summ

stern, etched w

crisp, "we heard about your... v

osing patriarch, fixe

r presence here is conditional on

threat hung

for the potential disruption I might cause t

on," I said,

ut another wedding invitation, ident

polished mahogany

illiams. The wedding

nor' s face, so blatant

ression soften

thoughtful look in her eyes. "A goo

rse, they'd approve. It was all ab

d said, his tone almost paternal, a

ll ties with the past. Focu

to focus on his own life, his own relati

tort about Broo

erased from Ethan's

res aligned. Or so I t

, sleep wa

me again, as

nt of sandalwo

on my eighteenth birt

ace turning to stone,

famil

e desperate, humiliating scene w

enching, pus

t from Eleanor the ne

a gasp, my h

re tangled ar

trying to shake off the li

a memory,

oah, who loved me, who

let these gh

e window, and looked out at

. I chose th

t Ethan go.

se kitchen, getting a glass of wate

Brooke' s arm link

e silence fell

rowed slightly, b

eet, saccharine expression th

So good to se

ce was

ogether with friends tonight. A casual

ce was a blank mask. He cl

't know...

s arm. "It'll be fun. A chance for everyone to catch up. Et

at him, battin

. "If you want." His

. Or a trap.

ok like I was still af

, forcing a smile

s as awkward as

Josh, and a few oth

heir eyes filled with a mixt

irl who' d embarrassed he

rt, was entirely

on her waist, pulling her close for kisses th

int, and I was the

olitely with anyone who spoke t

ested a game of tru

ourse, was e

her turn, sh

dared her to give Ethan "the mo

rned to Ethan, pulling

ling in his hair, and kissed him

ce, designed to pr

carefully neutral, and to

them the satisfac

it was

va?" Josh asked,

sn't in the mood for

g on his lips. "Who's the most imp

to say something that would betra

led c

t's

ect, feeling Eth

é, Noah W

lence fell o

ped up, his eyes w