David
For the past few months, the chasm between Laura and me had only widened. My attempts to bridge it—small touches, lingering looks, even attempts at intimacy—were met with polite indifference or outright rejection. It bruised my ego more than I cared to admit. I missed her, but I didn’t know how to reach her anymore.
The rain pounded against the windows as I paced in my office, Evelyn’s trembling voice still echoing in my ears from our earlier conversation. She’d arrived looking pale and jumpy, and now her words replayed in my mind: “David, I can’t sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I see him. What if he comes after me? I’m scared. Please, don’t leave me alone tonight.”
The Watson case had consumed me for weeks, and Darren’s threats had grown more specific. Cindy’s warnings about b
