Prologue

"Ashley wait… I …"

"No, it's okay."

"But I should have told you…"

"You don't own me anything, Spencer."

Black pools of pain and sadness. Spencer swallowed hard.

"Ash…"

"You deserve to be happy."

Ashley placed a soft kiss on Spencer's flushed skin and left.

And Spencer suddenly knew what real loneliness and heartbreak felt like.


"Merry Christmas, Ash. Are you coming home?"

"I'm sorry Ky, not this year."

"It sucks, Ash, you haven't been home for almost two years! I even miss you a little bit."

Ashley laughed - the small insignificant sound that Ashley called laughing these days.

"Maybe next year, Ky."

Kyla sighed.

"Promise me to be careful, Ky, do what Eve tells you to."

Kyla rolled her eyes. "Always the drama queen, sis that will never change."


"Happy birthday, Ash!"

"Thanks Ky."

"21… you're getting old, sis."

"But not wiser I assure you."

"Spencer sends her…."

"I have to go, Ky. Be careful."

Kyla threw the phone down. "Damn stubborn…."


"Ash, even your mother has been asking about you, everyone is… Madison too, for that matter. And Spencer is out of her…"

"Hallo to you too, dear sister. Happy Christmas."

"You drive me insane sometimes, Ashley. Completely out of my mind."

"Then you're not interested in a visit?"

"A visit?! You mean you're coming home? Home to visit?" Kyla almost screamed into the phone. "For real?!"

"Ryan and Eve are working on the details as we speak."

"For real?!"

Ashley laughed.


"Ky?"

"No, it's me Eve."

"Eve? What's going on?" Ashley didn't have to ask. She knew. "Oh God no… Please no…"