Patricia was pronounced dead from failed resuscitation before the ambulance even reached the hospital.
I knew it. Ryan had put every ounce of his strength into that knife strike.
He was sentenced to prison, too. It looked like he was going to rot behind bars for the rest of his life.
Over and over, Ryan filed requests to see me from prison.
I turned him down every single time.
There was nothing left to talk about. That nightmare of a family was something I wanted to scrub from my memory forever.
Then one day, an unknown number called me out of the blue.
Ryan was on the other end of the line, his voice ragged and worn thin.
"Lauren, come see me. I probably won't get another chance."
I hesitated for ages, but in the end, I caved and went.
*****
Ryan sat across from me in a prison
