The Puppet Unstrung: Chloe's Freedom

ng on his lips. He dangled the locket from his fi

e loud enough for the entire tab

ends sn

games anymore, Mark,"

of whiskey shots on the bar. "You drink every one of these. One for every

least a dozen shots. He was trying to break me in fro

our grandmother's," she'd said. "It will keep you safe." It was the last piece of my f

," I

s on me, burning a hole in my back. I ignored him. I ignored the

e empty glass down and reached for the next one. And the next. The room star

er woman's clothes in our closet. Another for the time he "forgot" our anniversary because he was on a weekend trip

had faded, replaced by a look of disbelief. Even his friends looked u

l. The thought was

It was Ethan. His face was a mask of concern and confusio

glass. I drank it, the alcohol hitting my system like a tidal wave. I

egs felt like they were made of cotton, b

ittle show. With a snarl of frustration, he threw the locket. It

ourself,"

under the table. The floor was sticky with spilled drinks. My hands scrambled in

ntly. The floor rushed up to meet me. As darkness closed in, the last t

y beeping of a machine. My head throbbed, and my t

by the window, his head in hi

oice devoid of emotion. He sto

ht me here

have acute alcohol poisoning, Chloe. And a minor concussion from the f

inctively going to my neck. The locket wasn't t

placed it on the bedside table. "

straight in the eye. "I mean it this time. I'm

emark. Instead, he just looked at me with a profound

ned to

wait,"

d, his ba

words feeling pitifully

When he finally spoke, his voice

emotion I couldn't decipher. It looked

uel smile touching his lips. "Ther

with a sliver of

hattered it into

ter is out of the country. I was wond