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Prologue

Delilah

His gaze is sharp; he has theblue eyes I’ve ever seen As I freeze where I’ in the middle of the aisle, the faint noise of dullby fades into the background It all blurs together in aisle four of the grocery store asturns so clammy that the plastic slips

The pitter-patter ofin my ears is all I can hear

Nothing else matters I can feel his eyes on me Every time I blink, I see them, surrounded by shadows

I takethe iteers There are only four things seeing as how I just got here, a bag of rice being the first iteo back on the bottom shelf before I slowly and meticulously roll my cart to the end of the only aisle I’ve been down

It’s chilling, the fear that rolls down ain Is it fear, though? My heart beats wildly in response to the question, fighting and railing against the decision to act calet out of here So we can be alone

My heart isn’t afraid, not like ical side is When the shadow is just barely seen, tall and foreboding, nition It’s an undeniable feeling when you miss someone you know you shouldn’t I try to focus on the sound of wheels squeaking against the linoleu lined up in order to help ground me

“Do you need any help?” The question co o on his white shirt beneath it I recognize hirocery store I’ o

How did I think I could move back, even if the house is on the outskirts in the middle of nowhere, and he wouldn’t find me? How could I be so foolish to think he wouldn’t come for me?

A sinking feeling in my chest moves my hand there, and the paper list in otten all about it and as I gaze down at the blurred pen lines and wrinkled paper, I do my best to school my expression

“Oh, no,” I say anda simple smile to ,” I answer, finally looking the young man in his deep brown eyes “I have a call in tento take it inin place although everything in et far away from other people

The young er, offers me a friendly smile in return “Understood,” he says with a nod and returns to lining up stacks of carts with the one I’ve just brought back up front

Even now, as I take each deliberate step through the glass double doors that slide open automatically as I approach and feel the cool breeze of early spring against my heated face, I try to rid myself of the memories that flash before my eyes

The bar The drinks The feel of a chilled glass of white wine mixed with the scent of whiskey froetting lost in bed with abroken

My heels click as I re my law license, as every dreadful moment returns with the stain of blood So much blood Acts of passion that couldn’t be taken back The pain that’s already present les with so much more

Wrapping my arms around myself, I attempt to protect my body from the wind but it’s useless The weather isn’t what batters me

The reht touch, force a gasp fro those hosts of the person I was Of the people ere before it all went to hell

All of the hts as I listen to my keys clink while I unlock the door to my sedan with a low beep that fills the practically vacant lot Frorocery store to now, a mere fifteena shade of red across the dark tree line of thick forest beyond the store parking lot and stealing the light that was here only a o