Page 45 of Ashes

“Rinny,” I murmured, eye level with her.

She stared right through me.

“Do you know who I am?”

A tiny whimper left her lips.

She knew who I was.

Of course she does.She could never forget.She always loved you. Nothing had changed. Except her fear.

“Are you afraid?” I asked, reaching for her.

She rocked slowly in her seat, a soft hum slipping past her lips.

Our song.

She’s humming our song.

I hummed along with her as she continued to rock.

“Oh, Rinny,” I murmured as I gazed at her.

My pretty, little princess was broken.

Ask her about the first time you met.

Ask her if she remembers what she was wearing.

Ask her if she remembers the first time you made her scream playing hide-and-seek.

Ask her if she remembers the fireflies. . .

I shook my head, willing the noises to quiet before I spoke.

“Do you remember the first time we met?”

She didn’t answer. I looked around and saw an ottoman, so I got up and grabbed it, placing it in front of her so I could sit. I took her cold hands in mine. I didn’t want that fucker to hear our memories. I hated Sully.

He’ll get what’s coming to him after I get our forever girl back.

I licked my lips and leaned in so I could press my forehead to hers. I began to recount our memory.

Ours.

Not fucking Sully’s. These memories belonged to us and only us.

This was our circus.Myfucking show now.

And we were going to have a hell of a lot of fun before we got to the main event.

SIRENA

Iknew his voice, and I knew his sins. In this darkness I was locked in, he was a treacherous prayer I screamed in silence. He was everything I knew to fear. An angel with the soul of a devil and the master of my terror.

I knew him.

Asylum.

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