Had anyone ever been there for me in my life? My parents took care of me financially, but they were hardly there for me. My father would kick my ass if I bothered him, at least until I turned sixteen and I got as big as he was. Poor Reid was his sole punching bag after that.

And my mother? She was about as attentive as that polar bear mother at the zoo who rejected her cubs.

Rock had left when I was eleven, and Reid and Riley—though I loved them, I wasn’t overly close to either of them.

As an introvert, I didn’t have many friends. A few dates now and then, and a few one-nighters.

No one who was there for me.

But now? I had a beautiful woman who loved me.

Heaven had sent Charlie to me. Charlie with her silver eyes. Charlie with her good heart.

She didn’t push me to elaborate. She was giving me time. Time to gather my thoughts, if I even could.

Should I tell her about my trek through the imaginary forest? It almost made me sound nuts, though the doc had assured me it was very normal.

I wasn’t nuts, though. I knew that, because of the elevator. Because of the key.

I’d found what I was looking for. Rather, I’d found the key to unlocking it. But at least I knew now that a key existed.

I hadn’t known that before tonight.

I held onto her, relishing the warmth of her body against mine, and then I regarded my painting.

She was right.

It was a fall.

A descent.

Like that elevator had fallen on that fateful day…

I smashed my palm onto the red button.

Then the thump when the small cubicle landed. The floor met my body, my stomach lodged in my throat.

I opened my eyes wide, attempting to see in the darkness.

No biggie. The elevator malfunctioned, obviously. Now I just needed to pry the doors open with something. But with what? Plus, I could be stuck between floors. I’d been going to the lowest floor. Had I made it?

I pushed the red button once more, and then again, until I was smashing it with my palm in a quick rhythm.

I wasn’t claustrophobic, but between the darkness and the fall, I was freaking out. My heart beat like a thunderhead and I had to piss like a racehorse.

The cartons that had been on the dolly were now scattered on the floor, files tumbling out of one that had been smashed open.