Chapter 2

Watching Jarrett still on the phone with Kisha Prince, his voice soft and loving, Alayna Dickerson swallowed the words she had come to say. She turned and quietly left the study.

To him, she was just a stepsister living in his house. He wouldn't care where she went to college. If that was the case, she didn't need to tell him.

In fifteen days, she would leave the Sheppard home. She would leave Jarrett.

Back in her room, Alayna looked around. A flicker of sadness crossed her face. But the past was the past.

She sighed softly. "Since I've decided to go, it's time to pack," she murmured to herself.

She pulled an old duffel bag from the top of her closet and opened the large, wall-to-wall display cabinet. Inside the glass-fronted shelves were all the memories. The perfume Jarrett had brought her from France. The cross necklace he had gotten for her, claiming it was a lucky charm.

One by one, she took them all out and placed them in the duffel bag. The bag slowly filled up, but her heart felt like it was emptying, a hollow space where a cold wind was blowing.

She pushed down the sadness and opened the bottom drawer of the cabinet. A yellowed diary lay inside. The pages were filled with childish pencil scribbles from her turbulent childhood.

She remembered how Jarrett used to protect her. But now, those memories were painful.

As she flipped through the diary, every single page was about Jarrett.

She turned page after page, her eyes blurring with tears. A tear fell silently onto the diary, blurring the ink.

Alayna pulled herself together, pushing down the complicated knot of feelings in her chest. Then, she started tearing the pages out of the diary. She tore up the letters, too. With each rip of the paper, a memory of her and Jarrett seemed to fade.

She threw all the shredded pieces into the duffel bag and zipped it shut.

A while later, she heard a commotion downstairs. She walked out of her room and saw Kisha Prince in the living room, hugging Jarrett. A suitcase stood beside her.

Alayna's heart stuttered, and she froze on the landing.

Seeing her, Kisha smiled and waved. "Alayna! I'm moving in for a few days. I brought you a gift!"

Kisha handed over a large bouquet of bright lilies.

Alayna instinctively took a step back, covering her nose. She was severely allergic to pollen, especially lilies. Contact caused rashes and breathing difficulties. Jarrett used to know this better than anyone. The house never had fresh flowers; the garden only had foliage plants.

"Why don't you take it?" Jarrett frowned, his tone impatient. "It's your sister-in-law's kindness."

Alayna looked at him in disbelief. "Jarrett, I'm allergic to pollen."

"Don't be so delicate," Jarrett said coldly. "Kisha's family situation is special. Her stepfather is abusive, so I brought her here to protect her. She bought these flowers specifically for you. Don't be ungrateful."

To protect Kisha, he could completely forget her restrictions?

Alayna held back the stinging in her eyes. She took the bouquet, holding her breath, and placed it on a distant table.

"Thank you, sister-in-law. And... thank you, brother."

Thank you for making my decision to leave even easier.