Page 23 of Vendetta Vows

I look down at our joined hands. "I knew what I was doing was wrong. I knew that there's a pair of parents out there who are still hoping that their daughter is alive. I knew that I was stealing someone else's life. But I was so scared, Hannah. A few weeks later, the police declared Jamie Fields dead. That's when Aurora Castellanos moved to Los Angeles and started over."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it's not a secret anymore if someone else knows." I grasp her hands. "You can't tell anyone about this. Ever. Promise me."

"I promise," she whispers, squeezing my fingers.

"I have to leave. Tonight. Start over again somewhere else."

"What? Why?"

"Because he's going to find me, Hannah. I can't stick around waiting for him to do that. What if he shows up here and I'm not here, but you are? I can't let you get hurt because of me."

Hannah shakes her head firmly. "But you can't just keep running forever. You can't face him by yourself."

"It's not worth the risk."

Hannah's arms wrap around me. "Yes it is. Don't you dare think for a moment I'm going to let you face that monster by yourself!"

She draws back, her eyes searching mine with a tenderness that makes my chest ache. "I can't believe you've been carrying this alone for so long, Jamie."

My entire body goes rigid, a wave of nausea crashing over me.

"No!" The word explodes from me with such force that Hannah flinches. "No," I repeat, softer this time but just as desperate. "Not Jamie. Never Jamie. That girl is dead."

I stand up, unable to stay still, energy crackling through me like electricity. "She died on that road in the eastern Sierras. She has to stay dead, Hannah. Do you understand?"

My hands rake through my hair, pulling it so tight it hurts. The pain helps focus me.

"Aurora Castellanos is who I am now." My voice cracks. "Aurora is the one who has a job, who pays taxes, who has a best friend named Hannah."

Hannah rises slowly, cautiously approaching me like I'm a frightened animal. "Okay," she whispers. "Aurora."

I press the heels of my palms against my eyes. "Every morning I wake up, I remind myself that Jamie Fields is dead. And every time I hear someone say the name Jamie, I'm terrified that it'shim."

"And he's still out there? After what he did?" Hannah's voice trembles with disbelief.

"Last I checked, he was working his way up the ranks in the Kansas City PD." A bitter laugh escapes me. "They made him a detective after my family's murders. He was praised for his 'dedication' to solving the case."

"That sick bastard." She takes a breath. "Aurora, I'm so sorry I pushed you toward Ruslan. I never would've done that if I knew."

My chest tightens at the mention of his name, remembering his touch, his lips.

"Don't." I shake my head. "Don't apologize. When I was with him... I felt alive, Hannah. For the first time in seven years. Even if it's just a few hours."

Hannah runs her hands through her hair, a visible effort to pull herself together. A half-smile flickers across her face as she tries to shift the mood.

"So... before all hell broke loose..." she asks hesitantly. "It was a good date?"

The unexpected question catches me off guard. After the emotional whirlwind of my confession, the shift back to something so mundane feels almost surreal.

But there's something touching about her attempt at normalcy.

My lips curl into an involuntary smile as memories of Ruslan flood back. "Honestly? It was the best date I've had in my entire life."

"Really?" Hannah's eyebrows shoot up, her smile widening slightly.

"God, Hannah, he was..." I trail off, searching for words that could capture the electricity between us. "I've never felt that way before. Like I could truly be myself with someone. He wanted to hear what I thought. He listened."

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