Chapter 5
The moment I got to the hotel entrance, I saw Robin waiting downstairs.
He was dressed casually–maybe he still thought he needed to keep up the charade in front of me.
Whatever. I wasn‘ t in a rush to confront
him.
He seemed anxious, having called me several times, but I hadn’t answered. It was as if he feared I wouldn’t show up.
The moment he spotted me, he exhaled in relief and quickly walked over. “Why weren’t you picking up?”
I drew a shallow breath before whispering,
“I have something to tell you.”
Before he could ask further, Caitline
appeared, running out in a red princess-
style dress.
He quickly shrugged off his coat and
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Chapter 5
draped it over her shoulders. “It‘ s freezing. What are you doing out here?” His voice wasn‘ t scolding–just gentle, indulgent.
Caitline nestled into his arms, replying in a sweet tone. “I was just worried about you.‘
Watching them made my chest tighten unbearably. I could only close my eyes briefly to steel myself.
Finally, I managed to say, “Robin, let’s break up.
But a screech of tires drowned out my
words.
Robin instinctively shielded Caitline, pulling her out of harm’s way just in time.
But when he wasn‘ t looking, Caitline
shoved me forward.
I could’ve easily avoided the car. But her push sent me straight into its direction.
The second my body was thrown into the
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air, I caught a glimpse of him holding her tightly, murmuring reassurances.
Between the two of us, she looked more
like the victim than I did–the one who had just been hit by a car.
The moment my body fell heavily to the ground, a strange sense of relief washed
over me.
“This works too, Robin,‘ I thought. ‘Now I don’t owe you a goddamn thing.‘
Regret followed right behind it. I regret ever meeting him.
If this was how it would end, I would rather have never known him at all.
I felt my tears leak from the corners of my eyes, blending with the blood trickling down my face.
After comforting Caitline, Robin finally turned his attention to me.
By the time he glanced over, his eyes went
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wide in horror, and he sprinted toward me.
At the last moment before darkness consumed me, I heard his frantic, broken
voice.
“Callie!”
“Someone call 911!”
