PART 3 He looked at the bicycle again. The red frame, the three wheels, the little chrome bell Eli had given me for free. “How did you even get here?” “I pedaled.” “Mom.” “That’s generally how bicycles work.” Despite myself, I almost smiled. He didn’t. “Please come inside,” he said. “People are staring.” I looked…

PART 3 Now, for the first time, I wondered whether the person who had promised to protect me had been the one destroying me. I reached beneath the mattress and found the recorder. The tiny red light was still blinking. I pressed the stop button, then held the device against my chest. I had no…

PART 3 My grandmother had been careful about everything. She had been careful about the money she left me, the lawyers she hired, and the man she warned me never to marry without understanding his character. Unfortunately, I had mistaken Cole’s confidence for strength and his attention for love. When we first met, he was…

PART 3 He looked at the bicycle again. The red frame, the three wheels, the little chrome bell Eli had given me for free. “How did you even get here?” “I pedaled.” “Mom.” “That’s generally how bicycles work.” Despite myself, I almost smiled. He didn’t. “Please come inside,” he said. “People are staring.” I looked…

PART 3 Now, for the first time, I wondered whether the person who had promised to protect me had been the one destroying me. I reached beneath the mattress and found the recorder. The tiny red light was still blinking. I pressed the stop button, then held the device against my chest. I had no…

PART 3 My grandmother had been careful about everything. She had been careful about the money she left me, the lawyers she hired, and the man she warned me never to marry without understanding his character. Unfortunately, I had mistaken Cole’s confidence for strength and his attention for love. When we first met, he was…