Beauty In Her Madness (Winterland Tale #3) - Stacey Marie Brown Page 0,71

few days.”

“Okay.” Numbly, I followed him to the door.

He turned around, wrapping me in his arms, his lungs heaving in grief. “I’ll call you soon. I love you.”

“I love you too.” I squeezed him back and stepped away.

His Adam’s apple bobbed, his eyes glossy as he stared at me for another beat, then turned and walked out, shutting the door.

I stared at the wood door blankly.

The boy I had loved for more than five years just walked out, the plan we had held on to for so long dissolving under my feet.

My heart ached, the pain deep as the tears spilled. I waited for the panic, the crippling devastation and misery to crash into me like a semi. The loss of my anchor, my other half, my lover, our plans, destroying me.

But it never came.

I struggled to pry my lashes apart as the light of a new day exposed the room in dull gray. My eyes went to the window. Fluffy snow drifted gently down like it was tiptoeing around me, unsure of my pending mood.

I was curled in the middle of the bed on top of the blankets, still in the dress I wore the night before, reminding me it wasn’t a dream I could brush away with relief. No, the nightmare was real. The dried blood still coated my skin, my face tight with crusty tears. I had cried until I passed out from exhaustion.

Yesterday, I had not expected I would go to bed alone, my longtime boyfriend temporarily moving out after a night of disaster.

All because of me.

I realized later how stupid it was of me to drink while on medication, but at the time, I hadn’t thought past wanting to feel normal, fun, and relaxed for a moment.

My choice ended in catastrophe. Now Scott might not only lose his promotion but his job as well.

Buuuuzzzzz

My cell hummed on my nightstand, my muscles heavy and struggling to move as I reached for it, Gabe’s name lighting up across.

“Hello?”

“Where the hell are you?” Gabe’s tone sounded annoyed. “You were supposed to be here thirty minutes ago. You are never late.”

I bolted upright, looking over at the side clock, the numbers taking me a moment to register.

“Oh shit!” I scrambled off the bed. “I’m so sorry. I’m coming.”

“Saturday is not a day to be late. We’re already packed with brats. Jenny is all by herself. Lei doesn’t come in until later. Get your ass over here ASAP, Dinah,” Gabe barked before hanging up on me.

Weekends this close to the holiday were hectic. It was a constant stream of hyper kids with sticky fingers and faces and exhausted parents letting their kids run amok.

“Crap.” Anxiety twitched my muscles, feeling the guilt of letting more people down. Darting for the shower, I quickly washed and dressed in my elf uniform, forgoing my coffee, and zoomed out the door.

I was already halfway there when I realized I forgot my bag. My bag, which had my license, wallet… and pills.

“Dammit!” I hit the steering wheel. I couldn’t go back, but the thought of not taking them doubled the anxiety in my system.

“I should be fine,” I muttered to myself. “Last night was probably because I mixed the two.” Even as the words left my lips, I didn’t even believe me.

My job was full of Christmas icons, make-believe, and craziness.

What could possibly go wrong?

The endless stream of kids kept my mind occupied for most of the day. We were so busy that I didn’t get time to eat. I was the only one on a double, seeing co-workers come and go. The day quickly turned into evening, darkness claiming the already dim sky by four o’clock, making it pitch dark by the time we closed.

“Holy shit, I’m exhausted.” Lei flopped onto a chair, throwing her belled shoes up on a footstool. “And I came in later than you.”

Putting away the vacuum, I rolled my neck around. I was actually thankful for the double; it kept my brain from dwelling on Scott and the incident the night before.

“There’s a party on campus. You want to come with me?” Lei stretched her ankles, the bells tinkling softly. “Or do you need to get home to Scott?”

“No, I need to get home—” I stopped myself, realizing the automatic response coming off my lips felt like a knife. A stab dug into my chest. Scott would not be waiting for me at home.

“Hey? Are you okay?” Lei sat up, tilting her head. I hadn’t even realized pain was