CHAPTER FOURTY-THREE
MELINDA
I woke up in my bed with no memory of getting there. The last thing I remembered was sitting on the edge of the mattress talking to Kieran, his hands gentle on my face as he wiped away my tears. He must have carried me here after I fell asleep, must have tucked me in and left me to rest.
The thought made something warm unfurl in my chest. He'd been so angry when I came home, so furious that he'd yelled loud enough to make me cry. But then he'd apologized, had held me while I fell apart, had been gentle in a way that seemed to cost him effort.
My phone buzzed on the nightstand. I grabbed it, expecting another call from Ma demanding updates on the money.
Instead it was an email from the fashion chain store. I opened it with trembling fingers.
*Ms. Russo, w
