After not seeing my family for a few days, and after experiencing so much upheaval, I’m more eager than ever to hug them all hard. Well, Jackie and Cricket and Asa, at least.

Something has been nagging me ever since Lincoln told me what the coroner said about his mother. I can’t stop thinking that it’s too coincidental that both she and Ricky essentially had the same cause of death. Granted, there was no heroin in Sylvia’s tox screen, and I have a hard time attributing that kind of behavior with her. But then again, addiction isn’t always obvious. People are so much better at hiding things than one would think.

With Ricky, the autopsy results weren’t as much of a surprise. He had shot heroin with fentanyl before, which is what landed him in rehab. In Hollywood, a fentanyl overdose isn’t exactly a groundbreaking autopsy discovery, which is sad on a completely different level.

My thoughts go back to Sylvia as Lincoln’s fingers tighten around my hand. His mother’s behavior was erratic and irrational. She had mood swings. Sometimes I thought she was actually crazy. Those were all behaviors Ricky displayed when he was using, but they also seemed like part of Sylvia’s normal personality.

When we pull up to the gates of The Gables, I’m happy to see the number of reporters has dwindled to a few die-hards. Since I said my piece, the tone of the stories has changed, and so has the villain. Spoiler alert, it’s not me anymore. Regardless, if I never see another headline that involves me or the people I love for the rest of my life, that would be fabulous.

As hopeful optimism blooms in my chest, we pull under the overhang and one of the valets opens the back door of the SUV.

“Mr. Riscoff, Ms. Gable. We’ve been awaiting your arrival.”

Lincoln helps me out of the SUV and hands off my bag to a bellhop. “Take good care of her,” he says before pressing a kiss to my lips. “I’ll be down here, waiting for you whenever you’re ready.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much for all of this, from me and my entire family.”

He smiles. “McKinley’s the one you should be thanking.”

“You can say that, but I know you’re the one who set it all in motion. I’ll never forget that, Lincoln.”

He cups my cheek. “You still don’t get it. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. But don’t worry, I’ll keep showing you until you believe me.” He presses another kiss to my forehead. “Now go. Your family’s waiting.”

I rise up on my toes to kiss him again. “I love you, Lincoln Riscoff,” I whisper.

His answering smile is everything I need to see as I follow the bellhop to where he’s holding the elevator door open—the same elevator I once rode in and asked Lincoln if he was taking me to the dungeon. As the gold doors slide closed, I can’t help but think it’s crazy how much has changed since that day. It hasn’t been that long, but it feels like a lifetime.