Rumors that the Abernathy power couple had finally split grew more intense.


    Thaddeus''s mood was dark. He left the party before it ended. Once in his car, he tore off the tie clip Alexia had given him with a look of disgust and tossed it to Gordon in the driver''s seat.


    "It''s yours."


    Gordon caught it, confused. "What''s this, Mr. Abernathy?"


    Thaddeus leaned back and closed his eyes, tugging at the Windsor knot of his tie, still feeling suffocated.


    "A gift from Alexia."


    "Ugh! I don''t want some random woman''s trash!" Gordon said with a look of revulsion, tossing the clip aside. "I have a girlfriend. I don''t want her getting the wrong idea."


    "A girlfriend?"


    "Beverly, sir," Gordon reminded him.


    Thaddeus, his eyes still closed, frowned. "Is she... of age?"


    Gordon didn''t know whether tough or cry. “She''s in college, Mr. Abernathy. Do you really think I''m that kind of person?"


    Thaddeus was suddenly reminded of the girl, Beverly Higgins, whom he and Evadne had rescued together. The memory shed through his mind, vivid and clear.


    Just then, Gordon''s voice broke the silence.


    "Mr. Abernathy, look!"


    Thaddeus wearily opened his eyes. His heart lurched.


    There, standing in front of the car, bathed in the stark white headlights, was Evadne. Snowkes danced around her, whipping her dark hair about her face. She looked as if the wind might carry her away.


    Thaddeus''s chest rose and fell. He opened the car door and walked toward her.


    "Mr. Abernathy," Evadne said with a faint, distant smile.


    He saw that her cheeks were flushed red from the cold, a sign she had been waiting for some time. His lips parted, but no words came out. He remembered how she always hated the cold, how she would burrow into his arms day and night, using his hands as her personal warmers.


    "Mr. Abernathy, may I have a word with you?" Evadne asked softly, not expecting any expression of concern from him.


    Thaddeus''s lips tightened. "Let''s talk in my car."


    "Thank you," she said politely, a hint of distance in her tone. Her carefully measuredposure felt so right, yet so utterly wrong.


    Gordon discreetly got out of the car, giving the former lovers some privacy.


    "Your birthday is tomorrow," Evadne said, breaking the awkward silence.


    "Yes," Thaddeus replied, ncing at her from the corner of his eye, his throat tight.


    He was about to say, "I don''t need a gift," when her next words caught himpletely off guard.


    "Do you remember your promise to me?"


    Thaddeus froze, his voice low. "Of course."


    "It''s time for you to fulfill it." Evadne sped her freezing hands together, her gaze intense "Tomorrow, at i three in the afternoon, I want to go. hiking with you."


    Thaddeus was taken aback, his eyes narrowing. "Hiking? Where?"


    "Pine Grove Park. Do you remember it?" Evadne''s voice caught, but she managed a smallugh. "A long, long time ago, you saved a little girl there you rescued her from a


    torrential storm. That was the


    beginning of everything for you two."


    Thaddeus''s heart skipped a beat. His hands, resting on his knees, clenched into


    fists. He had no memory loss. Of course, he remembered.


    "The one thing I want you to do for me is to go hiking with me tomorrow."<fn41b0> For more chapters visit f?ndnovel</fn41b0>


    "Is that all?"


    "What, did you think I was going to


    ask you to marry me again?" A flicker of the old, proud Evadne returned as she crossed her arms and lifted her chin. "No more excuses. Yes or no?"


    "Yes," Thaddeus answered without hesitation.


    "Good. Pinky promise."


    Before he could react, Evadne took his warm hand and hooked her own left pinky -the one that had been damaged around his. It was a clumsy, awkward


    gesture.


    In that instant, Thaddeus''s pupils contracted. He felt the faint tremor in her finger, and a jolt, like an electric current, shot through his heart.