- LOUISA -
I lean against the wall for a long time after we hang up.
I deserved that. I deserved every word he said. And I know I'm going to be carrying around the shame of this for a long time.
I close my eyes and try to find the emptiness deep inside of me. I know it's buried in there somewhere. The hard part is over, and now I just want to drown in numbness for a while.
But it's not enough.
I don't stop to think about what I'm doing. I shove my phone in my pocket and head down to the eastern wing of the house.
Ward's exactly where he said he'd be. There are a couple of other contractors down here, too, all helping with the moldings, but I don't give them a second glance.
Ward looks up as I draw closer, and his face brightens. I answer with a very wicked expression of my own, the
