Eight Losses, One Last Hope

and focused. I had an appointment at the consulate to f

turning in the lock, the scene in t

down shirts, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. It hung loosely on her frame, a b

eling in my gut down. He wasn'

ant. I was about to head up to my room, to the s

rated on my nerves. She picked up a strawberry from th

darling,"

fr

as an involuntary reaction, a habit born of years of caring for him. He hated them. The one t

n amusement. She looked at me as if I were

g back to Aidan. "But you'll eat

y, his teeth grazing her fingertips in a gesture that was both playful and possessive.

f his ears

ike that with me, in the dark, w

st he was actively erasing. I turned without another word and fle

pulled out my suitcase

s. I was never one for accumulating things. I started to gather the few it

ife with Aidan. A movie ticket from our first "date," a dried flower he had once picked for me, a

felt, and I felt... nothing. No regret. No nostalgia. Just a

away the past for good, when my eyes fell

icked it up. Inside, I

r the second, I had placed a tiny, silver lock inside. And after the third, and the fourth

erwhelming. The dam I had so carefully constructed broke

st open with

face. Her eyes darted from my tear-streaked fa

with mock sympathy. "What's all this? A

nd closing protectively over t

ed the place. "Don't be shy, Kloe. Aidan to

n the air, ugly

e continued, her voice a cruel whisper. "All of i

d. "What are you

entire family. Aidan has spent the last ten years making you fall in love with him, just so he could d

c little fool, you even went to a temple to pray for t

y time he touched you, he had to fight the urge to be s