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Chapters (85)
  1. BOOKS BY LOUISE BAY
  2. ONE
  3. Rosey
  4. TWO
  5. Byron
  6. THREE
  7. Rosey
  8. FOUR
  9. Byron
  10. FIVE
  11. Rosey
  12. SIX
  13. Byron
  14. SEVEN
  15. Rosey
  16. EIGHT
  17. Rosey
  18. NINE
  19. Byron
  20. TEN
  21. Rosey
  22. ELEVEN
  23. Byron
  24. TWELVE
  25. Rosey
  26. THIRTEEN
  27. Byron
  28. FOURTEEN
  29. Rosey
  30. FIFTEEN
  31. Rosey
  32. SIXTEEN
  33. Byron
  34. SEVENTEEN
  35. Rosey
  36. EIGHTEEN
  37. Byron
  38. NINETEEN
  39. Rosey
  40. TWENTY
  41. Rosey
  42. TWENTY-ONE
  43. Byron
  44. TWENTY-TWO
  45. Byron
  46. TWENTY-THREE
  47. Rosey
  48. TWENTY-FOUR
  49. Rosey
  50. TWENTY-FIVE
  51. Byron
  52. TWENTY-SIX
  53. Rosey
  54. TWENTY-SEVEN
  55. Byron
  56. TWENTY-EIGHT
  57. Rosey
  58. TWENTY-NINE
  59. Byron
  60. THIRTY
  61. Rosey
  62. THIRTY-ONE
  63. Rosey
  64. THIRTY-TWO
  65. Byron
  66. THIRTY-THREE
  67. Rosey
  68. THIRTY-FOUR
  69. Rosey
  70. THIRTY-FIVE
  71. Byron
  72. THIRTY-SIX
  73. Rosey
  74. THIRTY-SEVEN
  75. Byron
  76. THIRTY-EIGHT
  77. Byron
  78. EPILOGUE
  79. A month later – New York City
  80. 14 months later - Star Falls
  81. MR. MAYFAIR
  82. Beck
  83. Beck
  84. Stella
  85. BOOKS BY LOUISE BAY

In the car back to the motel, I pull out a dream catcher I made for Marion when she was born. I hold it to my chest. When Mom was pregnant with Marion, I couldn’t wait to have a baby sister. I was desperate for someone of my own. Someone to love. Kitty and Lydia had been born when I was too little to understand what was going on around me. When Marion was born, I used to wake up and feed her in the night. I liked when it was just the two of us in the dark. I’d tell her stories of princesses and knights in shining armor, dragons slayed and fairy-tale castles. I sang to her. I rocked her. I loved her. I was the mother to her I never had.

I have the chance to care for Marion and all my sisters again—to be what they deserve, instead of what they were born into. I can’t hand-feed them freedom, but at least today I got to tell them how it tastes. When they decide to venture past the walls Mom has put up around them—both literally and figuratively—I’ll be there, waiting on the other side.

THIRTY-FOUR

Rosey

On the shuttle bus back to the Colorado Club, I can’t stop looking at my phone. I’m desperate for one of my sisters to call or text me. I just want to know they’re okay, that Mom calmed down after I left. There’s still a glimmer of hope in me that she’ll learn from her mistakes, or be slightly kinder to them if she worries they’ll follow in my footsteps.

I step off the shuttle bus outside the Club and slam right into someone, dropping my bag and my phone at the same time. “I’m sorry,” I say, gathering up my things.

Whoever I bumped into crouches down and picks up my phone. As soon as I see his hand, I know who it is.

Byron.

We stand, and I tip my head back to look at him. I feel myself unfurl and relax under his gaze.

“Everything okay?” he asks, concern in his voice.

I don’t know how to answer that. Everything’s okay and nothing’s okay and now he’s here and he seems… different.

“I just got back from Oregon.”

He raises his eyebrows in surprise. “How was that?”

I sigh and realize how much I miss him. I miss porch swings and hot chocolate. I miss talking and kissing and feeling safe.

Byron never tried to control me. Despite being my boss, he had no agenda other than being with me. Maybe I’m confused. My emotions are running so high at the moment, Byron’s familiarity seems like a safe harbor. But is that all he is?

“It was a lot,” I say.

He takes my bag from me. “Did you see your mom?”