Chapter 5

The door swung in on its own weight.

They didn't jump apart. That was the first thing that broke me. They didn't even startle.

Cole stood at my stove, a dish towel over his shoulder, stirring the sauce.

Renee sat up on my counter in his flannel shirt, bare legs crossed, a glass of my wine in her hand.

Renee saw me first. She didn't cover up. She set the wine down, slow, and her face went soft and sorry. "Oh." Gentle. Almost tender.

"I just couldn't bear to watch him come home to nothing but darkness and an empty…