Page 85 of Vengeful Lies

A heart?

The trembling in her fingers increased as she scooped it up, realizing it was a locket.

When her gaze snapped to Cade’s he gave her an encouraging nod.

Opening the locket, she saw that the heart opened to become four hearts, making it look like a four-leaf clover. Three of the hearts had pictures in them. One was a photo of her, one was a photo of Essie, and one was a photo of Cade.

It almost looked like they were a family.

But they weren't.

“Cade,” she said on a half sob as she shoved the necklace back toward him. How could she keep this knowing she could never have what she craved?

“I have one to give to Essie, too. We’ll give it to her together when you're ready.”

“When I'm ready?”

“It has a picture of her, her mom, me, and you inside her locket.”

“Me?” she asked, voice wavering. What was he doing to her? He was dangling everything she’d ever wanted in front of her, but she couldn’t reach out and take it, she was too afraid of being thrown away again.

“She loves you. You're the mom she knows, the mom she wants, and Gretel would want that, too.”

“I don’t want to be with someone who only wants me to be a stand-in mom to his child,” she told him. That would never be what she wanted. She wanted to be loved for herself.

“No, sweetheart. That’s not what I'm saying.”

“Then what are you saying? I know you still love your wife.”

“I’ll always love Gretel. But that doesn’t mean that I'm not falling in?—”

“No. Don’t say it,” she begged. If he said it, she wasn't sure she’d believe it. Definitely wasn't sure she could trust it.

“I won't say it until you're ready to hear it, but it doesn’t change how I feel or stop it from being true.”

Her whole body shook. In shock, hope, or fear, she wasn't really sure, maybe a combination of all three.

“I need you to go,” she whispered, afraid she was about to break down.

Clear disappointment was on his face, but he didn't argue. Just set the red, velvet box on the bed beside her and gave another warm smile that did funny things to her insides. “I'm not going anywhere, Gabriella. I’ll leave for now, but I will fight for you. For us.”

With that, he turned and walked out of the room leaving her staring after him and clutching the necklace he hadn't taken back.

Was he trying to tell her that he loved her?

Really?

As in, was actually in love with her?

She was so confused.

But she wasn’t confused enough when the door to her room opened again, and her heart fluttered, excited to see Cade again even as she dreaded it because she couldn’t trust him right now.

Only it wasn't Cade walking into her room.

It was a man dressed as a nurse, with a mask covering the bottom half of his face.

Not his eyes though.

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