"So, they picked your idea for the Halloween party?" Ian asks as I toss the salad I've made for our vegetation the following evening. "That's great!"

I shrugged, flashing a grin at him. "Let's just say that Allie and Hugo agreeing on my idea wasn't the highlight of my day..."

"Yeah?" Ian asks, stirring the meat sauce for the pasta in a pot on the stove. "What could that possibly mean, Murph?"

"Well, let's just leave it at Nicholas and I are better than ever," I say, turning to face him and manipulating my eyebrows up and down dramatically.

"In your new offices, huh?" he asked.

I nodded. "Precisely."

Ian shook his head. "Jesus, Murph, what are we going to do with you?"

"Hell if I know," I replied, setting down the salad tossers and crossing to where I'd put Iana for a nap into her day bed. "Hey, sweetheart," I said softly to her as she opened her eyes. "Do you want to come out now?"

"Yes, Mama," Iana replied, holding up her arms.

I immediately lifted her out, settling her on her feet. I was relieved that Ian and I had baby proofed the house so well, but I kept a close eye on Iana as she wandered around the living room, to the space by the window where we kept a lot of her toys. "So, listen," I said, wandering back into the kitchen, "I have a favor..."

"You need me to watch Iana while you're at the ball?" he asked knowingly.

"No," I said, shaking my head, and he raised his eyebrows. "Well, yes. Take her out with Liam trick or treating or something, I guess. But no, that's not what I was asking."

Ian turned around fully then, leaving back against the counter. "Okay. What do you need me for now, Murph?" he asked patiently.

"Well, Fiona and Debbie are already on board," I replied. "I was wondering if you'd come shopping with us this weekend to find me something suitable for the event..."

Ian grinned. "I didn't know Cinderella had three fairy godmothers."

I rolled my eyes. "You know very well I look nothing like Cinderella."

He shrugged. "A combination of Ariel and Belle, then. But they all wore beautiful dresses at some point or another..."

I pulled my lips inward then, trying and failing not to laugh. "Stop being a fucking dick for a minute," I said, shaking my head at him. "Will you come, or not?"

Ian grinned. "I'll come, don't worry."

"Great," I replied, fetching a box of pasta from the pantry. "It's all settled, then."

. . .

That Saturday, Ian, Iana, Fiona, Debbie, and I all went to a local costume shop that somehow managed to take up an entire city block. Since Debbie had Franny, she agreed to look for Halloween costumes with Iana, while Fiona tagged along with me and Ian to look for something suitable for the ball. It was somehow pleasant to me, walking around there with my brother and sister, as we made it to the correct section, and after a sea of stereotypically slutty costumes, I found a smaller section—filled with vintage dresses—and a green ball gown stood out to me out of all the rest.

It had an oval neckline, with bell-sleeves, and was at least floor length. It was made out of soft velvet, and would hug my figure easily, and, by some coincidence, just so happened to be in my exact size. Although slightly amused by Fiona's pushing, I went over to a dressing room, dress in hand, and was permitted back there, while Fiona let me know she was going to look for a headpiece, mask, shoes, and a necklace for me. I rolled my eyes, a smile on my lips as Ian waited in the waiting area; I left him texting Trevor as I went into my assigned dressing room.

"Glad it's not prom season," I called, shutting the door behind me.

"Yeah?" he called back. "Why not?"

"Oh, please," I replied, taking off my top and working on my jeans. "The last thing we'd want is a bunch of teenage girls screaming about how they're not a size zero."

"Wait—that's a thing?" he asked.

"You're so lucky you're a guy, Ian," I tell him, looking at the dress on its hanger for a moment before unbuttoning the back and stepping into it. "Guys don't seem to worry about that so much, unless they're a model, or an athlete or something," I say, shrugging my shoulders as he laughs on the other side of the door.

"How's it coming in there?"

"Oh, fine," I replied, smoothing the angles of the dress. "I'll need you to come in here and button up the back, though. If you're cool with that..."

"Fine," Ian said, and I heard his footsteps as I opened my door. "Let's take a look, then—damn, there's so many of them," he joked, and I rolled my eyes, holding the dress in place as he did up the back. "There. Can you still breathe?"

"Thankfully, yes," I replied, gazing at myself in the mirror. "Personally, I think it's because there's no corset involved, but I could be wrong..."

"So, is this ball going to be completely retro?" Ian asked as I turned around. "I mean, authentic music and all that?"

"Allie mentioned something about getting a DJ the other day," I replied, "so maybe they'll recycle last year's playlist or something..."

"Music from the 1980's at a masquerade ball?" Ian asked, smirking.

I rolled my eyes. "Hey, I don't make the rules," I replied.

"You guys still back here?" Fiona's voice called, stepping back to where we were, her arms filled with accessories that all inexplicably matched the dress. "Okay, so I found green slippers and heels, depending on how you're feeling," she said with a grin. "I also found this incredible emerald necklace—it says emerald, but it's probably just green crystal, but who the hell cares, really?" she asked, and Ian and I shrugged. "And then there's this hood, or a crown, that would look amazing, and then this mask I found..."

The mask itself was definitely a statement piece; it was studded entirely with crystal rhinestones of varying sizes. Most were the traditional circular shape, although the ones diagonal from my eyes curled slightly upwards, like the wings of a swan; the ones near my forehead resembled leaves on a jeweled tree; and the final one, which would rest just above my nose, was another circular shape about three times the size as the standard ones. My eyes popped when I saw it, and even Ian looked impressed as I turned around and permitted Fiona to tie it in place. She had tied it expertly, so it didn't fall and obliterate my vision, and I found myself smiling into the mirror as my costume was coming together.

"Necklace time," Fiona sang, and I lifted my neck for her to clip it into place. "Now there's the matter of the headpiece, and the shoes..."

The crown was more of a tiara, for it had combs on either side which slipped into my hair. I chose the tiara over the hood, knowing that it would likely become very warm inside the manor where the event was being held, and the last thing I wanted was to overheat completely. I also chose the heels instead of the slippers, feeling that they went with my outfit more for the event than for being historically accurate. Pleased with myself, Fiona stood by the door as I changed to bring out all my intended purchases, while Ian ventured back out into the store to find Iana, Debbie, and Franny.

We all ventured to the checkout shortly thereafter, and I was surprised at how pleased with herself Debbie looked.

"You're in a good mood," I said, setting my intended items down onto the counter as I bent down towards my daughter. "Please tell me you behaved for Aunt Debbie."

Iana grinned. "Yes, Mama," she replied, handing me over her intended costume.

I blinked, surprised that she wouldn't want to go as a princess. "You want to go as Tigger from Winnie the Pooh?" I asked her.

She grinned. "Yeah. I love Pooh."

I looked at Franny's intended costume then, and noticed that she was going as Pooh. "Makes much more sense now," I said, moving Iana's Tigger costume—which was really just a glorified onesie—onto the counter.

"How's things going with Nicholas?" Debbie asked, her tone deliberately hushed as I got my credit card out of my pocket. "Well?"

I rolled my eyes playfully, turning to see that Fiona and Ian were already waiting by the front entrance, and that Franny and Iana had run to join them. "Fine," I replied, sliding my card through the machine and watching as the checkout person took extra care in folding up my dress and accessories.

Debbie nudged me. "That's not an answer," she pouted.

I grumbled sarcastically to her. "Well, it would certainly help if our sister didn't constantly pump me for information..."

"Fiona?" Debbie asked.

I shook my head. "No, Sammi. Of course Fiona!"

Debbie made a face at the mention of Sammi, and I flashed her an innocent smile. "Of course not Sammi—you haven't even met her, have you?"

"No, and I wouldn't—thank you," I said to the checkout person, who handed over my purchases and began working on Debbie's. "Not willingly, anyway..."

Debbie pulled out some cash in preparation for paying for Franny's Halloween costume. "But what's Fiona want to know about you and Nicholas?"

"Honestly," I said, "she wants me to admit that I'm in love with him or something..."

"And are you?" Debbie asks, handing over the cash.

I made a face. "Oh, my god, why is this such a hot-button issue?"

Debbie shrugged, thanking the checkout person as we walked toward the entrance. She hesitated as I threw my keys at Ian, who scooped up Iana, and Fiona walked out after them, holding tightly to Franny's hand. "I guess because it took so long for you to admit that you had feelings for each other, and now that you're together..."

"What should it matter, Debs?" I ask as we step outside and into the overcast today. "We're a couple and we're happy..."

"Yeah, but do you love him?" Debbie pressed.

I made a face. "I don't know," I replied as we made our way over to my car. "Maybe. I could love him, I guess, someday..."

"But now?"

I shook my head. "I don't know," I said again. "I don't know about right now..."

. . .

Fiona got off work early on the night of the ball to come over and help me with my hair. It was a pleasant experience, sitting there and chatting with my big sister, as she took my massive brushes into her hands and brushed out my copper locks. It had grown about an inch since the pipe bomb had exploded onto me, so she at least had some mane to play with that evening. She brushed it out long before fashioning it into a ballerina bun just on the back of my crown, which would do wonderfully for my tiara.

"You look beautiful," Fiona proclaimed as I got to my feet, pulling off the towel we'd put there for when we were doing my makeup a few minutes ago.

I rolled my eyes, smoothing my dress and adjusting my necklace. "Let's just pray that I don't trip on these," I said, lifting up my skirt to reveal the heels. I walked over to my closet then, turning back towards Fiona. "I ordered this online a few days ago, and it just showed up yesterday after I got back from work," I said, pulling open the doors. I gently took the green velvet furred cape down from the hanger, revealing it to Fiona. "What do you think?" I asked, unfastening the silver buckle at the front and draping it over my shoulders. "Too much?"

"Absolutely not," Fiona replied, taking my tiara from its perch atop my dresser and gently putting it into my hair. "I think you look gorgeous."

"You sure?" I asked, the nervousness creeping into my tone again.

Fiona nodded. "Of course I'm sure," she said, leaning in and hugging me for a moment. "You just go there tonight and dance your ass off and have some fun with Nicholas and all your other co-workers. Hugo's back tonight, right?"

I nodded back, turning towards the mirror to look one more time. "Yeah. This is also a welcome back party for him."

"Well, go on and get over there," she said, placing her hands upon my shoulders and catching my eyes in the mirror. "Nights like these—they can be nights to remember, right?"

I flushed then, a giggle escaping my lips. "Well, last year, Nicholas and I did hook up in the kitchen attached to the employee café, where the party was held..."

Fiona gently smacked my shoulder, moving to tie my mask in place. "You, young lady, were seeing Josh at the time."

I rolled my eyes, walking away from her as soon as she'd finished. "At the time, he and I weren't exclusive, and we could make our own rules."

"Going to break any of those tonight?" she asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know," I replied. "We'll see when we get there."

After saying goodbye to Iana, Ian, and Liam downstairs, Fiona walked me out to my car and again encouraged me to have fun that evening. I flashed her a smile, waving her off as I got into my car and drove across town towards the mansion. I found the designated area for parking, my invitation clasped tightly in my hand, as I slipped from my car and walked towards the main entrance of the place. I was let in by a strapping young gentleman who bowed to me, and was all dressed up in a medieval suit and looked quite elegant. In the front entrance hall, I was given the option of checking things, so I unclipped my cape and handed it over, as well as my jeweled bag which held my phone, and thanked the man in charge as I stepped over to the final door, where the ball was to take place, invitation in hand.

"And who do we have here?" asked the man by the door.

"I've been invited," I said, smiling up at him and handing over my invitation, which had my name on it.

"Of course, Mistress Gallagher," he said in a faux British accent, bowing to me as he opened up the door for me.

"Thank you, kind sir," I replied, stepping inside, the flashing lights nearly blinding me as I stepped down the stairs and towards the party. Looking around, I spotted Hugo and Allie at the sidelines, as they'd been last year, and made my way over. "Hello and good evening to you sir and madam," I said, doing my very best curtsy.

"Oh, Murphy, darling!" Allie said, pulling me upwards then and embracing me. "Don't you look wonderful!"

"Very luxurious look for you, Murphy—it suits you," Hugo said, hugging me in the next moment. "Very appropriate, that you've come as a princess, for Nicholas is dressed as a prince of some kind and is around here somewhere..."

"And you two are king and queen, I presume?" I asked.

"Naturally," Allie said, curtsying back to me. "For it is our firm, after all, but one day, the prince and princess shall inherit it."

I felt myself blush so that my face matched my hair. "Perhaps," I said, not knowing what I'd be doing next week, let alone when Allie and Hugo retired. "But, since you mentioned it, where is my prince this evening?"

"Somewhere," Hugo put in, looking around the room. "Ah! There he is!" he said, and motioned with his hand as I turned around, spotting Nicholas as he came forward.

Nicholas took me in then as he stepped forward, a completely shocked expression on his face as he approached me completely. He reached out and took my hand, kissing it, and flashed a grin to his parents before pulling me towards the dance floor. "Now I have you to myself," he whispered to me, and I felt my skin respond automatically to the innuendo behind his voice.

"Oh, really? You think so?" I asked him.

He chuckled. "Of course. Remember last year, Murphy?" he asked.

I felt flushed all over again. How could I forget something like that...?

"Hi," I said, giving him a wave.

Nicholas hesitated for a moment. "Can we talk?" he asked.

I nodded. "Sure," I said, knowing that the music around us would've been counterproductive to attempt at yelling in conversation. I followed Nicholas then, into the kitchen area, which was now deserted, due to it being the end of the day. "What's on your mind?"

He sighed. "I know you think I'm avoiding you."

I crossed my arms. "It's true, isn't it?"

He sighed. "Slightly."

I blinked. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Nicholas bit his lip. "The whole office is going to know by Thanksgiving, Murph, but you should know that Charlotte's dying."

Automatically, my hands flew to my face. "Nicholas! I'm so sorry."

He shrugged. "Yeah, well, can't be helped."

"But I thought that treatment was working..."

"Charlotte quit treatment," he said quietly. "That's why she's here, Murphy, and it's also why she decided to come home."

I sighed, my hands falling to my sides. "She came home to die?"

He nods. "Yes."

"I'm sorry."

He nodded again. "We're... We're coping...or trying to."

I bit my lip. "Look, you know how sorry I am about Charlotte, Nicholas, but you just said that the fact that you were ignoring me was only slightly true. I don't want the slight truth here; I want the whole truth. Have you been avoiding me?"

Nicholas sighed. "Yes," he said after a moment. "Yes, I have."

I bit my lip, shaking my head and crossing my arms. "Is this about the fact that Josh and I are officially dating now? Are you acting like a pussy because Josh has the shiny new toy, and you can't play with it anymore?"

He looked away. "That's not fair, Murph."

"None of this is fair," I replied, throwing up my hands. "I have a daughter who can never see her biological father ever. You're losing your sister. We have a case we need to be working on together, and we just might convict the wrong person, because you're so fucking stubborn, you blocked the P.I. from investigating Paul's half-sister."

Nicholas shook his head. "It was irrelevant."

I sighed, dragging my hands across my face. "Okay. None of this is irrelevant—we have our own shit going on, Nicholas. And you running away like a fucking pussy, just because you don't like my choice of boyfriend, and using your sister's death as a scapegoat, is the lowest thing I think you've ever done."

"Charlotte is dying, Murphy," Nicholas said firmly. "But, you're right. I do have a problem with you dating Josh. There," he said, "I said it."

I rolled my eyes. "You're not supposed to have a problem with it, Nicholas," I fire back. "You don't even care about me. So what should any of this matter?"

Nicholas sighed, looking up at the ceiling for a moment. "You honestly think, after all this time, that I don't care about you, Murphy?"

I shook my head. "No, Nicholas, I don't think you care about me. All you like to use me for is sex, and while I admit, I was okay with that arrangement, I was not okay with the unspoken strings that came with."

"Unspoken strings?"

"You thinking you knew best when it came to my dating life," I replied, annoyed that I actually had to explain this to him.

"Sometimes I know best, Murphy."

I roll my eyes. "Right—a guy who cares nothing about me knows what's best when it comes to me choosing a significant other. Right..."

"Dammit, Murphy—I do care!" Nicholas cried, advancing upon me then and yanking me towards him, slamming his lips to mine. "I care so goddamn much," he whispered, his breath feeling intoxicating on my mouth.

I shook my head. "No. No, you can't care..."

Nicholas sighed, looking down at me. "I care."

Mulling it over for a fraction of a second, I feel my hands moving back towards his neck, which I pull towards me, inviting Nicholas back to kissing me. "I want you to care," I whisper, feeling our hands working to get ourselves out of our clothes. "I want you to care so goddamn much," I say, my voice throaty, as Nicholas leans me up against a cooking surface and makes me his pleasure that night.

"Murphy?" Nicholas asked, and I turned to look at him then.

"Yeah?" I asked, clearing my throat, for my voice was slightly hoarse from the memory my mind had become tangled in.

"Want a drink?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No," I said. "No, I'm fine, thank you," I said, smiling up at him as we glided the rest of the way to the dance floor. I put my hands upon his shoulders, as he put his on my waist, and we just swayed together for a few moments. "I'm sorry—about me now admitting to it then, when I should've," I said quietly. "I just..."

"Were you scared?" he asked.

"No," I said, immediately shaking my head before I locked my eyes with his, and he looked as if he didn't completely believe me. "Maybe," I admitted.

"We are talking about last year, right?" Nicholas asked, smirking lightly down at me as he turned me around in the dance for a moment, before bringing me back to him. "And the notion that you were attracted to me, and just wouldn't admit it to yourself?"

I nodded. "Exactly."

"You know, it's okay to be afraid sometimes, Murphy," he said.

I sighed. "Not for me—not for years," I replied. "If I showed fear in front of Dr. Normal, it would all just get worse, and..."

Nicholas tilted my chin up then. "You're not there anymore," he said quietly, leaning down to kiss me, before he spun me around again, and I caught sight of Allie and Hugo again, the latter of whom was on his cell phone.

"What is going on over there?" I asked, nodding over to his parents, especially to Hugo, who looked distraught by something.

"No idea," Nicholas replied, taking my hand and walking over there directly. "Mom? What's going on?" he asked.

"Lots of things," Allie replied, looking uneasy.

"Hold on," Hugo said to whoever was on the phone, pulling it back from his ear, "Nicholas, it's about the fire," he said and, without warning, Nicholas dropped my hand and ushered Hugo out of the room.

"Do we know something?" I asked, and Allie sighed. "Allie, come on. If it's information that's important, both of us could be helpful. Remember, Hugo was unconscious when we dragged him out of there, which left us as the final witnesses..."

Allie locked eyes with mine. "You know what I'd do, if I were you?"

I sighed, crossing my arms. "Forget about it. Right?"

"No," Allie said, immediately shaking her head at me. "No. I'd fucking follow them like there was no tomorrow."

I blinked. "Excuse me?" I asked.

"Look, Murphy," Allie said, placing her hand on my shoulder, "in the beginning, you mentioned how couples frequently didn't see eye to eye... Do you remember?"

I nodded. "Yeah, of course I remember."

"In the beginning of our marriage, Hugo and I had a misunderstanding," she replied. "The long and short of it is, Hugo's ex-girlfriend had gotten pregnant, and it was shortly after they had broken up."

"Meaning that Hugo was possibly the father?" I asked.

Allie nodded. "Yes. And Hugo saw fit to keep this from me for five years. His ex-girlfriend later went on to have a son, and things got complicated because Charlotte actually met him and was dating him, shortly before her move to Los Angeles."

"Was he...?" I asked, not wanting to say it.

"No," Allie replied, "thank goodness. But that's what prompted Charlotte to uproot so quickly. It partially had to do with her limited time, due to her leukemia, but she also felt as if Hugo had been lying to her, and she couldn't trust him."

"But, you stayed?"

Allie sighed. "Yes, I stayed, because I'd never felt safer with Hugo, and he'd never cheated on me, and I vowed to him that that—or murder, or some other horrendously violent or sick crime—would be the only way I would leave him. One lie?" she shrugged her shoulders. "I got over it in time, because we worked through it. He apologizes for it every day, and every day, I forgive him for it, because that's how a relationship works—honesty, compassion, consideration, loyalty... I mean, no matter how you spin it, Murphy, it needs to have those things."

"So, I should go after them?" I ask her.

"Yes. Absolutely. Don't wait around for my son to tell you what he thinks you should know. Go into it with a blank slate in mind, but be ready, Murphy..."

"For what?"

"Be ready for a harsh reality," Allie replied. "When someone thinks you're not listening—even if it's someone who loves you—they can become...blunt."

I shook my head at her. "Nicholas doesn't..." I said.

"Oh, he does, darling," Allie said, patting my shoulder. "Now go after them and find out what they're keeping from us."

Still unsure, even from Allie's words, I left her side and walked the way that Nicholas and Hugo had gone, out a side door—which I assumed was a servant's entrance—which led down a long and narrow hallway. Through one door was the kitchen, but, as I cautiously stepped forward, I heard their voices around the corner, at the end of the hallway. Reaching down, I slipped off my heels, so that they wouldn't echo on the floor, and made my way cautiously towards the pair of voices that were hiding god knows what.

"...Dad, just hang up," Nicholas was saying. "You've got the information, now hang up so you can give it to me."

Hugo sighed. "Fine," he replied, and presumably hung up his phone. "They were able to go through the security camera footage, and they identified who the person was who planted the pipe bombs."

"Really?" Nicholas cried. "That's amazing! Who was it?"

"A low-life thug named Troy Chambers," Hugo said, his voice filled with disgust. "But that's not the worst part—Troy was paid off to do this. He avoided the death penalty and a mandatory life sentence for possession and planting of illegal bombs for giving up who paid him to do this horrible thing."

"Dad, we don't have the death penalty here anymore..." Nicholas put in, and I rolled my eyes at how senseless he was being in that moment.

"No, son—Chambers could've gotten it on a federal level. You know, because of the whole bomb thing being associated with terrorists," Hugo explained. "Anyhow, we've got the name of who he was working for."

"Who is it, Dad?" Nicholas asked.

"Pamela Farris paid off Troy Chambers to plant the pipe bombs and start the fire," Hugo replied, and Nicholas gasped. "She's been arrested, and admitted who she was targeting initially, so it's unlikely she'll get first-degree murder charges stacked against her, because, obviously, Cindy was not her intended target."

"Dad, please," Nicholas said, and my ears pricked up at the notion that his tone was choked, almost as if he didn't want to believe the thoughts likely running through both our minds. "Don't say it, Dad. Don't tell me she wanted to..."

"I'm afraid it's true, son," Hugo said steadily, and Nicholas responded with a noise of anguish. "I know it's devastating to hear, but you've got to. Pamela's intended target was Murphy, and she wanted her dead."

I was rooted to the spot for a moment, the notion that someone wanted me dead was completely alarming to me—!

"Dad, what do we do?" he asked then, cutting off my thoughts. "What can we do?"

"We have to tell Murphy the truth, and see if I have enough pull to potentially get her some protection detail—"

"Dad, you can't be serious!"

"What are you talking about, Nicholas?"

"Dad, we...we can't tell her," he said quietly.

"Nicholas, you're being ridiculous! For her own safety!"

"Dad, I'll keep her safe," he replied.

"Nicholas, with all due respect, you've only been seeing Murphy for about four months now, and I hardly think—"

"Dad, I love her," Nicholas said, and I felt something jarring from within me then. "I'm in love with her, and I'd never let anything happen to her."

Hugo sighed then. "Son, if you love her, then you have to tell her the truth..."

"Not this, Dad," he said firmly. "I can't tell her this. Please..."

"It's your relationship," Hugo said then. "And even though I think it's wrong to withhold the truth—and believe me, I learned that the hard way—if you think this way is best, I'll support you, although I can't say the same about your mother..."

"Dad, it'll be fine," Nicholas continued then.

I can't tell you how much I wanted to round the corner and demand to know why Nicholas intended to lie to me, and why Hugo would support that. Old habits die hard, my mind said for me then.

Shut up, mind! I thought to myself then as I turned around, slipping back into my heels. I made my way quickly towards the door then, opening it and slamming it behind me. Just let them hear me, I thought to myself, running through the dancers and out into the main hallway again, not even bothering to make eye contact with Allie, or say goodbye. I got my cape and my bag before running out of there, through the cold night, and towards my car faster than I ever thought possible. I drove out of the parking lot and down the street, hot tears blinding my vision as I ripped the mask from my eyes and the tiara from my hair.

Once I arrived home, I noticed the lights in the living room were on, and as I parked in front, I tore the keys from the ignition and got out of my car, locking it automatically behind me. As I walked through the gate, I continued to allow the anguish of all I'd heard that evening flow through me, and as I walked up the stairs and to the front door, I found the sobs rising upwards from my throat, threatening to escape my lips.

I unlocked the door and stepped inside, seeing that it was after ten, so Liam and Iana should have been asleep. I noticed Ian was watching something on T.V., and as I threw my cape and shoes on the stairs, I trooped into the living room to join him. I sat down on the couch almost silently then and, immediately, Ian switched up the T.V.

"You're back early," he said, looking me over, his brow furrowing. "Everything okay? What happened to you?"

I opened my mouth to speak, and the sob I'd been dreading escaped my lips. "Everything happened, Ian..."

"Oh, my god, what did he do?!" he demanded, pulling me into his arms. "What did that son of a bitch do to you this time?!"

"Everything and nothing..." I whispered brokenly.

Ian pulled back then, looking me over. "Tell me everything, Murph. Right now."

I nodded. The time had come. "Which part?" I asked him, and Ian looked shocked. "The part where Nicholas said he loved me while I was in a virtual coma, after the fire? Or maybe the where Josh threatened me at the hospital when I got my bandage taken off? Or, get this, the part where Pamela Farris hired somebody to try to kill me, and Nicholas convinced Hugo to lie to me about it, after affirming his love for me, again?" I wanted to know, my voice shaking. "Which part should I tell you about?"

"Start from the beginning," Ian replied, his expression one of shock.

I nodded. "Okay," I said. "Okay, I'll tell you everything..."

TO BE CONTINUED