As I moved, the aches throughout my body brought me back to consciousness. There was the now strangely familiar reminder that Sterling and I'd been together. Memories of me pleading for more of what only he could give brought warmth to my cheeks as well as tightening in my n*****s. Those were the aches I wanted. The way that even behind my closed eyes, my temples throbbed and muscles throughout my body felt sore, similar to the aftereffects of recovering from an illness, reminded me of my new reality: someone had tried to poison me. Scratch that. Someone had poisoned me. My hand rubbed over my upper right arm.
I contemplated what was real and what was covered in lies.
Sterling had caught me before I hit the floor. It made sense. It fit the scenario I'd been given. Why then did I believ
