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“He was your neighbor, your best friend, and yet you chose Timothy and got pregnant. He,” I said, glaring at Felix, “got angry and framed Timothy for selling drugs and put him behind bars and promised to protect you when you were the most vulnerable.”

I had read his files when I got released, with my dad on the phone, who had done all the digging. Thanks to my go pro on the bike catching the car’s plate number. It was Felix’s old car, and we found out just how deep his obsession ran with Anna.

“W-what…” Anna’s lips parted as she looked at Felix and me.

“I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s the truth. He married you and felt safe that you would never leave him again for another man. Until you started dating me and Kyle, and he couldn’t help himself but hurt us. Hurt you and plan all this to get you back.”

“It’s a lie!” Felix roared, laughing at us as he paced around the kitchen. I instinctively put myself in front of her. “Why would I do all that?!”

“Felix, please,” Anna said, her eyes gleaming with tears. “Is it true? Did you do… all of this?”

He yelled something, and I pushed Anna behind me when he took a vase full of sunflowers and slammed it on the floor, breaking it.

“I did it for you!” He shirked, raking his hands through his hair. He looked wild, and I wanted to take her away from the scene. But the front door was behind him, and the way upstairs was blocked because he was pacing in the hallway, blocking both the exits. I wouldn’t mind attacking him and fighting him, but if he had a weapon, he could hurt Anna.

“I did everything for you, Anna! Ever since we were kids, you promised me you’d marry me, and you slept with that disgusting prick!” He was rambling, talking to himself about how much he loved her and wanted her to stay with him.

“Felix, calm down,” Anna said, trying to tone down the situation, but it wasn’t helping.

“Calm down!” He laughed, the sound devoid of any emotion. “Promise me to marry me again. Come back to me and I’ll fix everything, I swear! I will put Alice in a good school, and you can be my housewife?—”

“Shut the fuck up,” I said, interrupting him. “She’s mine and you’re not going anywhere near Alice.”

“She is my daughter!” He said, his eyes wide and red in the corners. He was insane. “I will do anything I want because Anna is mine.”

“Dad?”

We all froze hearing the small voice coming from the hallway. Fuck. Anna had left Alice upstairs and?—

“Hi honey, why don’t you go back upstairs and sleep?” Anna said, trying to keep her voice calm and inch towards her daughter, who was holding her dino soft toy and looking at all of us with big eyes.

But Felix got to her before we could, holding her hand and smiling at us. It was creepy and evil. “I will take care of my daughter.”

“Ow, dad—it hurts!” Alice shrieked when his hold tightened on her arm.

I was going to rip his hand.

45 I LOVE YOU

KYLE

My heart pounded as I jumped into Anna’s room. I had been running and mountain climbing for years, and I was glad it was useful to climb up to her room upstairs from the backyard. Cillian was using a ladder, and I was waiting for him by the window when I heard the shriek of Alice.

I checked the bed and found it empty. Fuck.

“Alice is not in the bedroom,” I said to him when he was halfway up the ladder. “I’m going to find her.”

“No, Kyle, stay close—fuck!”

I ignored him and slowly crept out of the room, keeping my breath quiet and slow. I heard another high-pitched scream and quickly darted away into the shadows when I saw Felix’s silhouette holding Alice and coming upstairs.

My fight instinct kicked in, and I braced myself to protect Alice and hold down Felix until the cops barged in or Cillian cuffed him.

“Come on, Alice!” he shouted at his own daughter. My blood boiled at the sound of her cries.

“Mommy!” she yelled.

“Get away from her!” I said, surprising him as he tried to find his footing on the rugged hallway. But it was too late as I had already grabbed Alice and pushed her into her room and said, “Hide here and lock the door. Don’t open it until you hear Mom, okay?”