Jane

“Okay, you can do this. You can do this. You can do this.”I repeat to myself, staring at the phone in my hands with utter trepidation.

The pups are sleeping soundly in their bedroom, and I’m getting ready to sacrifice my dignity in their honor.

I’m not sure how Ethan will respond to my phone call, if he’ll even answer when he sees my number on the screen. I’m half tempted to go find a pay phone and calI from a number he won’t recognize, but I decide to try this first. Taking one last deep breath, I dial and hit the send button, raising the device to my ear.

It seems to ring for an utter eternity, but eventually the line clicks, and Ethan’s deep voice sounds in my ear.

“Jane?”

The familiar sound sends a shiver down my spine. “

Hello Ethan.”

“I thought I told you not to contact me.” Ouch, I know l expected failure, but that seems harsh, even for Ethan.

“Actually you just told me to leave, you didn’t say I couldn’t ever reach out.”I correct him hoarsely. It’s only been four weeks, but it feels like an eternity since we last spoke. Those early days after l left with the pups had passed in a haze that still haunted me, and it feels so surreal just to hear his familiar voice.

“Well I should have.” He growls. “I didn’t realize I had to spell everything out letter by letter. I thought you were smarter than that.”

“Wil you just listen for a moment.” I beg, hating how cruel he’s being.

He pauses for a moment. “Is something wrong?

“Well that depends on how you define wrong.” I snap. “Your pups are absolutely heartbroken without you. They don’t understand why they can’t see you, they’re completely traumatized from the Southern lsles – every other night they’re having nightmares and begging for you instead of me, and yesterday they attempted to run away to the North Pole so they could ask Santa to bring you back to them for Christmas.”

me on the other end of the line. I wait impatiently for a response, wondering

all? He questions

they could have been killed, they stole a horse-drawn sleigh and were taking off into the mountains.

should they hate you?” He snaps, sounding even

told them that you’d abandoned them, do you?” I hiss. “I took the blame for you so they wouldn’t develop a complex, and now they think

not wrong.” Ethan rumbles. “It is your fault. If you’d done what

can’t believe how badly it hurts to hear him speak to me this way. He wasn’t even this cruel when Eve staged her attack all those years

have to stand up for my children. “So you don’t even care that you’re punishing the

innocent and they worship

understand why you’re complaining?” Ethan counters. “Isn’t this exactly what you wanted? You were

burst out, loosing hold

He remarks

me love you again!” I

for me the way you did, why did you make me love you if

He rumbles. “You owed me for faking your death and hiding the

You deserved to pay.”

to punish me, to break my heart, but it’s another to punish innocent pups. They didn’t do anything wrong – they don’t deserve this, Ethan.” I protest, tears burning in my

you wanted Jane. And yeah, maybe I snuck a lesson in there for you along the way, but this was your dream ending. You made your bed, now go sleep

phone against the wall, flinching when it strikes and bounces off again, clattering to the ground. I follow suit, sinking onto the floor and wrapping my arms around my knees,

food and gifts for me and mom. I know how I fell in love with him, he’d been sweet, protective and affecti0nate nothing like the monster he was now. Where did that Ethan

eyes. It was the first gift l’d opened, and already it was more valuable

“l picked

much!” I insisted. “Girls like me aren’t meant for jewels and

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