"You were overwhelmed, Ashley. It's okay."We all have times when it feels like the world is hitting us at once. I understand. Ashley and I have both been fighting our own battles in separate war zones."I haven't studied for the bar since May."I grab Ashley's hand, squeezing tightly. She always thinks the worst of herself. "Yes, you have. You're always at the library." How many nights have I come home to an empty apartment when Ashley's been off studying? She's always too hard on herself.She shakes her head. "No, I lied. I've been going to Harpers for lunch every day and staying until dinner."I blink, stare at her, and then blink again. Did I hear her right? Harper's is a corner stone of college life. Located less than two blocks from campus. We'd spent many nights there."What were you doing the whole time?"She shrugs and her gaze falls to her lap. "Playing on my phone."What? Why would she admit this to me now? "For how long?"Ashley lifts her shoulder again as

The simple skeleton key, silver with diamond embellishments on the circle latch and leaf vines feels extra heavy around my neck. The Tiffany etched in the backside means it probably cost more than I make in a month, but I'd been helpless to turn away the blue box when it was hand delivered earlier this morning.I mean it was a blue box. Everyone would be curious to see what was inside the package.The necklace is elegant yet simple and understated. Just like my style. A simple white business card was tucked into the box with a message from Vincent scribbled on the front.This reminded me of you.Does he understand me after all? Does Vincent want me to dress in power heels and wear fifty-thousand-dollar outfits that cost as much is his suit? Or is he okay with me? The real me. A woman who wants to wear a simple necklace and a pair of running shoes. I hope the gift is a sign—a gesture he doesn't realize he is making—but I can't determine a reason Vincent would be at Tiffany's sin

As I finish the story of what his wife told me in the car, he pulls back my face in his hands. Vincent's skin is red and his expression one of anger. "I swear that's not how it happened. I will do anything to prove that to you. Yes, I made bad choices when I was younger, but I've never raised my hand to a woman. Never, not after growing up in the home I did."I nod, wanting to believe it's true. A part of me always did. When faced with a difficult decision, a woman's choices are limited and often used against her for years. Do I believe the woman in the scenario and cast Vincent aside because of their words? Or do I trust a man who has never shown me anything but kindness and acceptance?You are always supposed to listen to women and believe them and trust them. Girl power and all, but I can't match up Tiffany's words with anything Vincent has done or said in our time together. It's as if I'm being forced to pick between two worlds."It's just so much at one time." I finally wrap

I turn on him, wanting to reach out and strangle him for reminding me of my childhood. "No, I just don't appreciate that nickname. It doesn't make me a bitch because I have an opinion about something that affects me."Men.The rest of my steps to the printer are hard as I stomp there and grab the stack of papers from the tray and then stop by the supply closet on the way back and pick out a bright pink highlighter.I will highlight the shit out of these reports.My chair flops back as I sit in it hard and then use my feet to roll me to the desk. Anytime a woman has a mind of her own, she's considered a bitch or told she's "ragging it." As if men never had a bad day or let something bother them. Somehow only weak women had those issues.It made me want to strangle every man on the planet.Holy shit.I drop the highlighter on the desk and use my fingers to count back the weeks, but I can't remember.I definitely wasn't having a time-of-the-month mood swing. Since I'm on t

VOLUME THREE: THEIR WARMy car speeds past the Welcome to Indiana sign and for the first time since I jumped in the vehicle in the Valiant Industries parking lot, I take a full breath of air. Sadly, with it comes a bunch of doubt.What am I doing? I stood by Vincent's side through the drama we faced over the summer. And there was a lot of drama—like in spades. The ex-wife he hadn't officially divorced from his teenage years, and a slew of ex-lovers, one of them with compromising images of her with Vincent engaging in numerous sexual acts.Even after finding out the devastating news from the white stick in my apartment bathroom on Tuesday evening, I made it through a full day of work on Wednesday. Vincent and I having a baby was perfectly fine. I mean, I couldn't ever tell my moody billionaire boyfriend and my parents would kill me, but everything was fine. I'd totally play it cool. My hands barely shook, and when my boss, Dawn, mentioned throwing a baby shower for one of my cowor