When 20-year-old Kara Bennett moves to Boston to escape her post-high school drama with her daughter, she didn't expect to fall straight into it in the form of Austin Mayer.
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All Kara Bennett...
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EACH MOMENT I WAS AWAKE, I CALLED FOR DEATH.
I didn't know how long it had been, but as time went on, the effects of the drugs she used on me started to weaken. It was supposed to be a good thing, but I'd rather sleep in oblivion than be awake in this isolated, dark room, having panic attacks every single day. My heart pounded against my chest so wildly that I wondered if it was a panic attack or a heart attack. The drugs she injected into me must have messed up my hormones.
Mila ruined me, but she still let me live. I guess it was also a part of her punishment.
When fluorescent lights flickered over my head, it signaled Mila's entrance into the room. I closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep. She dropped a tray on the side of the bed and stood beside me. I could feel her eyes on me, but I tried not to move.
"I have good news." Her voice chimed in the dark corners of my mind, adding up to my headache. "Well, good for me." She didn't mind that I was asleep or she could see into me after spending a decade together. How long has it been?
"My plan worked perfectly," she said. "Lucas and Kara are a thing now with their cute baby. I'm not a bad person after all, right, brother? I've given her a happy ending and I'm giving us our happy ending, too."
Our happy ending? Just kill me, Mila. Make it as painless as possible. Lucas and Kara are a thing now. Are you happy, Kara? How long did it take you to surrender? Did you ever look for me or?
Mila poked me a few times, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Wake up."
"Leave me alone," I managed to say through my teeth. My throat was dry, and it felt like I hadn't spoken in years. I turned to my side, hoping she would take the hint and leave.
"I know you hate me now, but you'll see that I've done this for you. For us." She put a hand on my shoulder. "Austin, she was toxic. I knew she was going to dump you at the first given chance, and she did! It's only been two months, Austin. You've been MIA for two months."
Two months.
"And she hasn't even looked for you at all. She believed that you abandoned her — or she wanted to believe it so she could move on. What do you expect from a woman who fucked my ex? At least she got what she deserved. Lucas. They deserve each other for all the bullshit they've given me. I don't need any men in my life. I've got my family."
My headache grew worse gradually and made me think that this was my life now. This narrow, dim-lit room, tied to this fucking bed, fed up with my psycho sister's lies. I didn't believe Kara would stop looking for me. But then, why didn't she find me?
What if Mila did something to her as well? I need to get out.
"You're right," I said. "You've got your family. You've got me, sis."
