The garden was peaceful. I needed that right now.

It was the only place in this damn house where I didn’t feel watched. Alice had been lurking too much lately, always finding an excuse to talk to me, to ask about my past, my life with Mark. It was like she was trying to figure out what made me different. What made me better.

I wasn’t in the mood for her games. Not today.

I leaned against the old wooden bench, staring at the flowers, letting the cool air settle my thoughts. The past few days ...