I'll let them caress my soul and imbue it with the necessary courage for the days to come—I'll keep them nestled in my breast for as long as I have left on this Earth. And when I finally draw my last breath too, I'll whisper them to him, so he can utter them back in the afterlife.

Slowly, I raise my hand to the sky, watching a few stars as they sneak between my fingers. I've never been a believer. Not since I saw all the evil in this world and wondered how a deity that was supposedly good could bring forth so much tragedy. Then I watched Sergio spin his god-like narrative, fool people and manipulate them for his own gain. And even then, I still wondered, how was it that a god would wish ill upon anyone? Shouldn't gods be above people?

I'd always had questions, but only when Nikki had come along had I gotten some answers. Yet now, I find myself wishing it were true—that there was some type of heaven where we could be reunited in the end.

Because if not...

My eyes snap shut, pain vibrating under my skin with increasing frequency. Like an earthquake waiting to be set loose, it echoes through my being, pushing me closer and closer to the brink.

It would be so easy to end it all...to take a step closer and stare the abyss in the face. But that would be the easy way out. How could I let Nikki's killers walk free?

With a deep sigh, I open my eyes. I should probably head back before I get some more foolish ideas.

When I step back, my phone vibrates in my pocket. A text message from Noelle has the address of her downtown apartment she graciously allowed to let me use for the time being and the passcodes to the building. With a weary sigh, I plug in the address in the maps app and follow the directions.

But as I turn, I come face to face with a masked man standing less than one foot away from me.

What... When did he get so close?

Before I can say anything, he slaps my hand so hard, my phone flies over the bridge, plunging into the water with a thud.

My eyes widen in shock before fear settles in.

Adrenaline surges through my veins as I turn to run. But I barely take one step forward before his fingers are in my hair, dragging me back.

"Let go." I grit my teeth as I try to fight him—not that easy with my cast on and the other injuries that make it hard for me to move.

He doesn't say anything, simply tightening his hold over my scalp. All at once, he pushes me toward the railing, my entire body reeling from the impact.