The blood in his veins was boiling again.


    It had been a long, long time since he''d felt such a violent urge to kill.


    "Joshua, Joshua?"


    A familiar woman''s voice, cool and clear as a mountain stream, washed over him and extinguished the dangerous spark just as it red to life.


    Joshua blinked, brought back to himself.


    Ste was watching him closely. "What were you thinking about? You looked miles away."


    Only then did Joshua realize Neville and Abby were gone. Neville had left, and Abby had gone to see him off.


    He shook his head. "...It''s nothing."


    Ste said, "I spoke to Dr. Burton yesterday. About your insomnia."


    She hesitated, choosing her words. "He thinks your insomnia is psychological. If you can resolve the underlying issues, you might be able to sleep again."


    Ste put it gently, but when Dr. Burton spoke to her, he hadn''t been so tactful.


    "This young man''s dealing with some serious psychological issues. I can treat the body, but the mind-that''s not my area."


    Ste had promised she''d find a way to help Joshua with his insomnia. She suspected that was the real reason he''d decided to stay by her side all those months ago: he wanted to be cured.


    She''d spent time researching treatments. Music therapy was one of the most effective remedies for sleeplessness.


    But...


    Ste nced down at her hands, a shadow flickering in her eyes.


    She could never y the violin again.


    From a dark corner of her heart, bitterness crept quietly in, swelling until it filled her chest. She''d never hated anyone this much. Not even Haynes. Not even Rachel.


    Hate and love-both were such a waste of emotion.


    But Leonard was different.


    He''d destroyed her one hope of starting over.


    Joshua''s voice broke through her spiral.


    "It won''t be easy."


    Ste snapped out of it, shaking off the turmoil. She turned to him, catching the briefest sh of self-mockery and disgust on his face.


    It startled her.


    That look didn''t fit Joshua''s usual


    easy confidence. But then


    again-who said cheerful, sunlit


    vel


    people couldn''t have their own shadows? Maybe there was


    something lodged deep inside him, something he couldn''t shake.


    She softened her voice, her tone warm and gentle, like a confidante. "Joshua, did something happen to you? Something that hurt you?: can talk to me, if you want.


    Sometimes it helps, just save ou


    MS


    loud."


    His longshes fluttered, almost shyly. "What about you?"


    it out


    Joshua didn''t talk about his past. Even after regaining his memories, he''d rarely mentioned anything personal. To this day, people knew little about him beyond his


    name.


    Most of the time, he was just a silent observer-calm, unppable, never losing hisposure, no matter what happened.


    Abby was curious about Joshua''s history. Ste was, too.


    But Ste never pushed. If someone didn''t want to talk, she respected that.


    She smiled. "Me? My past isn''t much of a secret. If it weren''t for Rachel, I''d probably still be trapped in a


    miserable marriage. Strange as in et


    sounds, I should thank her. She forced me to start over, to live a different life."


    Joshua spoke up suddenly. "Have you ever thought about falling in love again?"


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!