Ms. Ward thought Sylvia must have forgotten all about it, but she slipped into the kitchen, came back, and set it on the table in front of her.
It was a men''s watch-understated, but worth a fortune.
Sylvia recognized it instantly. It was Rupert''s.
She owned the exact same model, just thedies'' version.
But she could''ve sworn she didn''t see this watchst night when she was cleaning up after dinner.
Unless... the person who stayed with her while she was sick was Rupert.
Lester never said he''d made the chicken soup. Sylvia had just assumed.
Thinking back on the hazy, dreamlike night, Sylvia''s hand shook, and she spilled her ginger tea.
Ms. Ward hurried over with napkins. "Honey, what''s wrong?"
Sylvia turned to the window, then, almost on impulse, snatched up the watch and rushed out.
Standing in the elevator, she watched the numbers tick down, counting in her head.
She leaned against the wall, her heart a mess of hope and dread. She''d told herself again and again not to go down this road, but she needed to know the truth.
She''d already died once-a painful, grueling death. She''d survived that. She couldn''t just let her past life end in a blur, questions unanswered.
Bursting out of the building, she ran to a patch of clear ground, where the snow hadn''t settled.
She looked everywhere, but whoever had been watching he was gone.
She clutched the watch tightly, fumbling for her phone, but before she could make a call, Naomi''s name shed on the screen.
"Mom?"
"Sylvia, Rupert''s getting engaged to Ms. Sanford. The engagement''s before New Year''s, the wedding right after. It was Rupert''s idea."
Sylvia froze.
Naomi''s voice faded into static. All she heard was the crack of a branch above, then a heavy pile of snow crashed down toward her. She couldn''t even react.
Suddenly, someone darted forward, yanked her out of the way, and the snow and brittle branches crashed behind them.
Rupert.
It was really him.
Something squeezed tight in Sylvia''s chest-anger, hurt, she wasn''t sure.
All the questions she''d bottled up almost spilled out. But when she met his eyes,
cold as a winterke, her words died in her throat.
He was marrying Reese. Soon.
What did any of her questions matter now?
A gust of wind sent flurries spinning around them, dusting their hair and shoulders with white.
Sylvia suddenly remembered an old
saying: if two people get caught in the snow together, maybe that''s as close as you get to growing old side by
es content belongs to
But in this life and thest, she and Rupert were never meant for a happy ending.
She drew a shaky breath, icy air burning her lungs, making her body—and her heart-even colder.
“Thanks, Uncle Rupert. Don''t forget your watch. Someone might get the wrong idea."
She handed it back to him, her voice t.
Rupert stared at her, eyes dark and dangerous, his whole body tense. "Who would get the wrong idea? Lester? Have you fallen for him?"
Without missing a beat, Sylvia said, "Yes."
For a moment, the world seemed to stop.
She clenched her fists, blinking back tears as the wind stung her eyes. Forcing
herself to stay calm, she fastened the watch onto his wrist.
"Uncle Rupert, let''s just leave it at that."
She didn''t want any more answers.
Maybe he''d been wrong in the past, maybe he had his reasons. But this life, she was done.
But as she let go, Rupert''s wrist
flexed, muscles tight, veins bulging. He grabbed her hand, pulling her against his chest and holding her there.
His gaze was so intense it sent a chill down her spine, but his lips twisted in a
cold, almost dangerous smile.
"Who says we''re leaving it at that?"
He gripped her chin, forcing her to look at him. "Sylvia, I told you the day
you
Parted this with me-you
get
on''t
decide when it ends. That''s not your call."
Sylvia winced, gritting her teeth. "What about Ms. Sanford?"
Rupert hesitated-so he did care about Reese, after all.
But his next words cut through Sylvia like a de of ice.
"I''ll make sure you''re taken care of."
Her lips trembled. It took her a long moment to find her voice. "What does that
even mean?"