Page 54 of Madness

But as I pull out of the parking lot, Nikki's words echo in my head. Miles and that married woman. Died together. The same night Dakota lost his wife.

It can't be a coincidence.

I merge onto the highway, my hands gripping the steering wheel too tightly. One way or another, I'm going to find out the truth. I have to.

For Roman. For myself.

And maybe, though it scares me to admit it, for Dakota, too.

30

HEART OF NOVOCAINE

LAUREN

The soft glow of my desk lamp casts long shadows across the living room. My nursing textbooks lie open, neglected, on the coffee table. The house creaks and settles around me, a reminder of its age and the life Shannon and I once had here. Now, it's just Roman and me... and sometimes Dakota.

I curl up on the worn couch, inhaling the familiar scent of chamomile tea. It reminds me of late nights with Dakota, his arm around me as we watched old TV shows. The mug's warmth seeps into my hands, a stark contrast to the cold dread in my stomach.

Shannon's face fills my laptop screen, her new Seattle apartment visible in the background. Despite the distance, we're still in the same time zone, the darkness outside her window mirroring my own.

"Lauren?" Shannon's voice cuts through my reverie. "You still there? You look like you've seen a ghost."

I force a weak smile. "Sorry, just... it's been a week. I can't focus on my studies, I can barely sleep..."

Shannon's brow furrows with concern. "Okay, spill it. What's going on?"

I take a deep breath, my eyes darting to the framed photo of Roman and Dakota on the mantel. "You remember Nikki? Miles' ex from way back?"

"Vaguely," Shannon nods. "Blonde, bit of a party girl? The one he was with before you?"

"That's her. She came into the diner a few days ago and... God, Shan, she told me something about Miles. About the night he died."

Shannon leans closer, her image pixelating slightly. "What? What did she say?"

The words stick in my throat, but I force them out. "She said... she said Miles was with someone that night. A married woman. That they... that they died together. And I told you Dakota’s wife died the same night, right?"

"Holy shit," Shannon breathes. "Lauren, are you saying what I think you're saying? You think it was Dakota's wife?"

I nod, feeling tears sting in my eyes. "The timing fits. The circumstances. The hospital. It's too much of a coincidence, isn't it?"

Suddenly, I'm back in this very room, three years ago. The casual way I checked my phone that morning, expecting nothing more than a text from work. Instead, I got a voicemail from some guy I vaguely knew as Miles' friend. His words, hesitant and awkward: "Lauren, I... I think you should know. Miles died last night. Drug overdose."

I remember sinking onto this same couch, one hand on my swollen belly, feeling Roman kick as if he knew something was wrong.

"Lauren?" Shannon's voice pulls me back. "Where'd you go just now?"

I shake my head, wiping away a stray tear. "Just... remembering how I found out. God, Shan, what if I'd known then? What if..."

"Hey, no what-ifs," Shannon interrupts gently. "You can't change the past. But have you talked to Dakota about this?"

Guilt gnaws at me as I shake my head. "I tried calling him right away, but now I've been avoiding his calls. I don't know what to say, or how to even bring it up. What if I'm wrong, Shan? What if I'm just paranoid and seeing connections that aren't there?"

"And what if you're right?" Shannon counters. "Lauren, you can't sit on this. You need to talk to him."

"I know, I know. It's just..." I trail off, my eyes landing on Roman's latest artwork on the fridge. "I think we've built something good, you know? He's so great with Roman, and I... I love him. But this could change everything. This could really mess with his head right now. And I’m not sure he’s in a great headspace as it is."

Shannon's quiet for a moment, her expression thoughtful. "Look, I get it. This is huge. But think about it - if it is true, don't you think Dakota deserves to know? And if it's not, well, then you can put this whole thing to rest."

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