to the accused murderer, Ethan Caine?”
“He is my husband.”
Chapter 1
May 1997
Carly looked at her alma mater, Tisdale High School, and sighed to herself. Four long years of torture had finally paid off, and she was leaving this place within the week. Graduation was coming, and college was quickly approaching right behind it. Her life was about to change. She could leave this tiny town behind along with all of the memories that she wanted to forget.
“Girl, can you believe we made it? Finally!” her friend Zinnia said as she hugged her around the neck. Zinnia had been her constant companion since ninth grade. Her curly red locks and bubbly personality went along with her quirky name.
“It’s hard to believe, that’s for sure. It’s been a very long year to say the least,” Carly said with a slight smile. A lot had happened during her senior year, some good and some bad.
Her parents had divorced early in the school year, so she had to say goodbye to her former family life. Being an only child, she had always felt a bit lonely. While other kids spent their Christmases and Thanksgivings with a house full of siblings, Carly often sat alone in her room with her new toys crying. She had desperately wanted that closeness that she saw other families having. She wanted the big family dinners, a brother or sister who had her back, and siblings to share a history with.
Her parents divorced because her father cheated with his best friend’s wife, thus breaking up two families in one fell swoop. He moved to Sacramento to start over at a new job with his mistress-girlfriend. Carly hadn’t heard much from him during the school year, and he wasn’t coming to her graduation. She wondered how a man could father a child, raise her for almost eighteen years, and then just walk away.
Carly’s mom was a workaholic. She spent most of her time trying to keep up with the bills. This left Carly feeling alone at home. The only good thing she had to look forward to each day was the mail that brought letters from Aidan.
She had met Aidan Harrison in her freshman year of high school. Originally from England, his accent caught her attention immediately. Not many guys in Georgia talked like Aidan. He was tall, kind of skinny, and funny with his quick British wit that she didn’t always understand. He had a crooked smile, huge dimples, and the longest eyelashes she had ever seen. Carly had been immediately attracted to him, but he only wanted to be friends it seemed. He was a year older than her and didn’t seem to date much either.
In French class, they had been the cut-ups. She thought of him like an older brother, and he thought of her like his little sister. They were best friends for three years until the unthinkable happened.
Something had gone wrong with his visa when he was in his senior year. Before he was able to graduate, he was deported back to England while the rest of his family stayed behind. Carly had no idea that he was being sent away because she missed a few days of school due to strep throat. When she came back at the end of her junior year, Aidan was gone.
After asking around, she found out what happened. Luckily, he had left his address with another friend. Carly immediately wrote to him, and he wrote back. As the year went on, Carly was the only friend of Aidan’s who kept writing. She supported him and stayed close to him even though he was so far away.
Not having family around her and never having had siblings, she felt close to Aidan. He appreciated how she kept in touch and started telling her so in letters. She didn’t think anything of it when he said in his last letter, “You will never know how much it means to me that you have stuck with me all this time.”
A part of her wondered if Aidan had more than friendship feelings. A part of her hoped that he did, but that idea scared her. Her father had taught her that men leave, and
“He is my husband.”
Chapter 1
May 1997
Carly looked at her alma mater, Tisdale High School, and sighed to herself. Four long years of torture had finally paid off, and she was leaving this place within the week. Graduation was coming, and college was quickly approaching right behind it. Her life was about to change. She could leave this tiny town behind along with all of the memories that she wanted to forget.
“Girl, can you believe we made it? Finally!” her friend Zinnia said as she hugged her around the neck. Zinnia had been her constant companion since ninth grade. Her curly red locks and bubbly personality went along with her quirky name.
“It’s hard to believe, that’s for sure. It’s been a very long year to say the least,” Carly said with a slight smile. A lot had happened during her senior year, some good and some bad.
Her parents had divorced early in the school year, so she had to say goodbye to her former family life. Being an only child, she had always felt a bit lonely. While other kids spent their Christmases and Thanksgivings with a house full of siblings, Carly often sat alone in her room with her new toys crying. She had desperately wanted that closeness that she saw other families having. She wanted the big family dinners, a brother or sister who had her back, and siblings to share a history with.
Her parents divorced because her father cheated with his best friend’s wife, thus breaking up two families in one fell swoop. He moved to Sacramento to start over at a new job with his mistress-girlfriend. Carly hadn’t heard much from him during the school year, and he wasn’t coming to her graduation. She wondered how a man could father a child, raise her for almost eighteen years, and then just walk away.
Carly’s mom was a workaholic. She spent most of her time trying to keep up with the bills. This left Carly feeling alone at home. The only good thing she had to look forward to each day was the mail that brought letters from Aidan.
She had met Aidan Harrison in her freshman year of high school. Originally from England, his accent caught her attention immediately. Not many guys in Georgia talked like Aidan. He was tall, kind of skinny, and funny with his quick British wit that she didn’t always understand. He had a crooked smile, huge dimples, and the longest eyelashes she had ever seen. Carly had been immediately attracted to him, but he only wanted to be friends it seemed. He was a year older than her and didn’t seem to date much either.
In French class, they had been the cut-ups. She thought of him like an older brother, and he thought of her like his little sister. They were best friends for three years until the unthinkable happened.
Something had gone wrong with his visa when he was in his senior year. Before he was able to graduate, he was deported back to England while the rest of his family stayed behind. Carly had no idea that he was being sent away because she missed a few days of school due to strep throat. When she came back at the end of her junior year, Aidan was gone.
After asking around, she found out what happened. Luckily, he had left his address with another friend. Carly immediately wrote to him, and he wrote back. As the year went on, Carly was the only friend of Aidan’s who kept writing. She supported him and stayed close to him even though he was so far away.
Not having family around her and never having had siblings, she felt close to Aidan. He appreciated how she kept in touch and started telling her so in letters. She didn’t think anything of it when he said in his last letter, “You will never know how much it means to me that you have stuck with me all this time.”
A part of her wondered if Aidan had more than friendship feelings. A part of her hoped that he did, but that idea scared her. Her father had taught her that men leave, and
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