TWO DAYS LATER...
From the bedroom window, the party looked beautiful.
Debbie had been planning this welcome cocktail party for days, and I think it was all worth it.
She had done a pretty great job...
Tables dressed in white linen dotted the grass, each crowned with tall vases of wildflowers and silver trays of champagne.
Soft jazz drifted from speakers hidden among the hedges.
People... well-dressed, confident, clean... mingled with practiced ease.
You could hear laughter floating up in little waves.
It should’ve felt like a celebration...
Instead, it made my stomach twist.
Honestly...
Because the only thing I could think about was whether he was out there.
Not in a suit. Not sipping champagne.
But watching.
Hiding.
Waiting.
The thought made my breath hitch.
I didn’t
