suit stepped through the front door with Carol walking closely behind him.
"Ah, you are here," Carol said, grinning. "Edward this is Anita, who has graciously put up with me for the past three and a half weeks."
Anita nodded, "Edward Durkheim, how are you? Am I glad to see you."
Edward laughed. "Carol can be a handful, I know. I am happy I came back to straighten out this mad charge against her."
Carol was nodding behind him like a bobble doll. "Then I can get back to my regular life."
Anita smiled in relief. "So when are you leaving?"
"I'll make some calls now," Edward said. "When I reach my house, it's just a few miles up the road from here. Want us to go in together, Carol, or did you drive?"
"I drove," Carol said. "I can leave now. I just want all of this cleared up as soon as possible. I just need to say goodbye to Chudney."
Anita went into the house behind Carol. "You need to get your own dog," she said as Carol held Chudney's face in her hands and stared at him lovingly.
Carol crooned, "I know you prefer me to Anita but I have to go Chuds. Take care of Anita though, okay."
Chudney seemed as if he nodded, and Anita laughed. "Chudney, you better behave yourself; remember who feeds you."
Carol straightened up and stood before her. "And you, Anita Parkinson, you need to put Vanley out of his misery. The guy loves you. Tell him your secret."
"No," Anita said. "He won't love me anymore if I tell him."
Carol smirked. "I think you are wasting your life Anita. He'll lose interest. Nothing lasts forever."
Anita shrugged. "I'll deal with it."
Carol shook her head. "Do you want to live the rest of your life in this big lonely house, swimming in regrets with only Chudney for company. You have never been a coward. Man up."
Then she saw Anita's expression and giggled. "Oops. I know that look. Later. I love you—always have and always will. If I am ever running from the law again, I'll come and check you."
Anita rolled her eyes.
When Carol left, the house suddenly felt bereft of life. She had only been there for three weeks, but she made the place come alive. She really was living in an isolated world. When she was younger, it had been necessary for her survival. When Carol entered her life back then, she had felt re-energized.
Was the isolation so necessary now? She had believed that she had to hide who she was from the world in order to fit in. Why was she still hiding?
She went to her room and stared at its all-white contours. She had deliberately decorated it that way. When she was younger she had a vision of herself lying on an all-white bed in a white room where she felt carefree and happy. That vision had stayed with her for years. As she struggled to adjust in her teen years, and in her early twenties, it was all she thought of.
She had chosen white for her decor, but she couldn't quite capture that carefree, happy feeling. In order to be happy, she would have to tear off scar tissue, face her past, and open up herself to Vanley.
She slumped on her bed. It would never work for them. There were too many obstacles and too many things to adjust to.
A tear trickled down her cheek, and another followed it rapidly. She bit her lips, trying not to make a sound. She was bigger than crying over what she couldn't change, but her tears mocked her by flowing even more down her cheeks.
Chapter Nine
"Hey, Davia!" Jessica Bancroft called to her from across the Business Center courtyard.
Davia smiled. She and Jessica had become fast friends since her little makeover session.
Jessica was seated with her best friend and loyal shadow, Ramon. Davia walked over to them and sat down. "What are you guys up to?"
"Studying," Jessica said.
Ramon shrugged. "I am studying; Jess is listening to her obsession, Khaled."
Jessica elbowed him. "He is jealous of Khaled. Have you ever heard anything so absurd?"
Davia grinned. "You are pretty into him; that was one of the first things I noticed about you. You were wearing
"Ah, you are here," Carol said, grinning. "Edward this is Anita, who has graciously put up with me for the past three and a half weeks."
Anita nodded, "Edward Durkheim, how are you? Am I glad to see you."
Edward laughed. "Carol can be a handful, I know. I am happy I came back to straighten out this mad charge against her."
Carol was nodding behind him like a bobble doll. "Then I can get back to my regular life."
Anita smiled in relief. "So when are you leaving?"
"I'll make some calls now," Edward said. "When I reach my house, it's just a few miles up the road from here. Want us to go in together, Carol, or did you drive?"
"I drove," Carol said. "I can leave now. I just want all of this cleared up as soon as possible. I just need to say goodbye to Chudney."
Anita went into the house behind Carol. "You need to get your own dog," she said as Carol held Chudney's face in her hands and stared at him lovingly.
Carol crooned, "I know you prefer me to Anita but I have to go Chuds. Take care of Anita though, okay."
Chudney seemed as if he nodded, and Anita laughed. "Chudney, you better behave yourself; remember who feeds you."
Carol straightened up and stood before her. "And you, Anita Parkinson, you need to put Vanley out of his misery. The guy loves you. Tell him your secret."
"No," Anita said. "He won't love me anymore if I tell him."
Carol smirked. "I think you are wasting your life Anita. He'll lose interest. Nothing lasts forever."
Anita shrugged. "I'll deal with it."
Carol shook her head. "Do you want to live the rest of your life in this big lonely house, swimming in regrets with only Chudney for company. You have never been a coward. Man up."
Then she saw Anita's expression and giggled. "Oops. I know that look. Later. I love you—always have and always will. If I am ever running from the law again, I'll come and check you."
Anita rolled her eyes.
When Carol left, the house suddenly felt bereft of life. She had only been there for three weeks, but she made the place come alive. She really was living in an isolated world. When she was younger, it had been necessary for her survival. When Carol entered her life back then, she had felt re-energized.
Was the isolation so necessary now? She had believed that she had to hide who she was from the world in order to fit in. Why was she still hiding?
She went to her room and stared at its all-white contours. She had deliberately decorated it that way. When she was younger she had a vision of herself lying on an all-white bed in a white room where she felt carefree and happy. That vision had stayed with her for years. As she struggled to adjust in her teen years, and in her early twenties, it was all she thought of.
She had chosen white for her decor, but she couldn't quite capture that carefree, happy feeling. In order to be happy, she would have to tear off scar tissue, face her past, and open up herself to Vanley.
She slumped on her bed. It would never work for them. There were too many obstacles and too many things to adjust to.
A tear trickled down her cheek, and another followed it rapidly. She bit her lips, trying not to make a sound. She was bigger than crying over what she couldn't change, but her tears mocked her by flowing even more down her cheeks.
Chapter Nine
"Hey, Davia!" Jessica Bancroft called to her from across the Business Center courtyard.
Davia smiled. She and Jessica had become fast friends since her little makeover session.
Jessica was seated with her best friend and loyal shadow, Ramon. Davia walked over to them and sat down. "What are you guys up to?"
"Studying," Jessica said.
Ramon shrugged. "I am studying; Jess is listening to her obsession, Khaled."
Jessica elbowed him. "He is jealous of Khaled. Have you ever heard anything so absurd?"
Davia grinned. "You are pretty into him; that was one of the first things I noticed about you. You were wearing
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