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sense. The deep breath he took was visible, and I tried to hide the pleasure his irritation gave me. What can I say. Old habits die hard.
    Back in control he said, “This is only about you and me . Alice is going to learn the truth. It’s inevitable. The sooner the better as far as I’m concerned. I’m done lying—to everyone, especially myself.”
    “Are you crazy? We can’t risk her health to tell her about something that happened once and will never happen again,” I practically shrieked.
    His lids lowered and in a soft rumble he asked, “Are you sure about that?”
    “Yes.” Maybe?
    Damn, Alice meant the world to me, but she was hardly the most important reason I couldn’t afford to fuck this up. Panic seized me at the thought of all my secrets coming to light. I knew exactly how Alice and Jackson would feel about me then. Was that also inevitable now? That thought sapped every ounce of fight I had left. Finally, the elevator doors opened.
    “Just leave me the hell alone,” I pleaded as I rushed into my much needed sanctuary. I looked up as I pushed the button for the lobby, afraid he would follow. His hands were back in his pockets, and his lips slowly twisted into a smirk as the doors closed.

    I leaned against the elevator wall, clutching at the painful heat spreading through my chest. I gasped in and out, trying, with limited success, to fill my lungs with air. Stopping the flood of tears was well past being a lost cause. I had to be the biggest idiot in the world not to realize this day would come. It only made sense he would come home eventually. Of course he would be by Alice’s side. Ten years ago, I had done the best I could, given the circumstances, but keeping the truth from them now was wrong. If there was a price for Alice’s recovery, it was karmic justice that I would be the one to pay it.
    The drive home gave me time to pull myself together. I wiped at my swollen eyes and hoped I didn’t look too bad. The twinkling stars and the porch light guided my way. I unlocked the door to our little house as quietly as possible. I should have known my mom would be waiting for me. In my rush to get to the hospital, I’d forgotten to leave a note. I could feel her concern before the door was even closed. It was not like me to disappear without a word.
    “Claire, what happened, honey? Are you all right?”
    “I’m fine,” I lied. “I have some really good news. Alice is awake, and she’s back. It looks like she’s going to make a full recovery. I just left her at the hospital.”
    “Oh, sweetheart, that’s wonderful! But then, why do you look so awful?” I could see the second it dawned on her. Her demeanor changed from concern to the fierce protector only a mother can be. She said just one word: “Jackson.”
    In spite of my determination to hold it together, I could only nod because the tears were back. I ran to her, desperate for the understanding of the one person who would know what their return really meant.
    With her arms still wrapped around me, we walked to my bedroom. She wiped away my tears and told me everything was going to be fine. We both knew that wasn’t true. Just like I knew she was remembering the last time she’d seen me cry. It was ten years ago. The cause then, as now, was Jackson Montgomery.
    I got to live in their fairytale world for seventeen years. Alice and Jackson had supplied my visitor’s pass, at least until I’d betrayed my best friend, and she’d ended up in a coma. Now they were back, and I would have to be stronger than I’d ever been. I had to find a way to do what’s right even if it meant losing everything. The worst part was knowing, no matter what happened next, I deserved every second of misery coming my way.

10 Years Ago
    I T WAS THE first weekend after high school graduation. I’m sure there was an unlimited supply of parties going on, but I was trapped into going to Jackson Montgomery’s. Even the thought of it caused my heart to