STANLEY'S POV

She uttered it like she was asking for extra cream in her coffee. It was so effortless and smooth.

"So what's the plan?" The line hit me like a slap, unexpected and rough. I blinked. My body froze halfway through its movement, hand in mid-air as I tried to push the table a little further. I had spent the last half-hour trying to make amends for my transgressions, wearing my guilt like a crown, hoping she would see remorse shining through every word I spoke.

But this? I ...