“I’m going out to get food for the baby,” she said. “Do you want anything?” It was clear she wanted him to go and if he didn’t, her feathers would be ruffled. Too bad, it was her turn. “I’m good,” he said, whistling a little tune. She gave him a beady-eyed stare. “Don’t strain yourself.” Minutes later, she was back. “Nice to see you still perched here doing nothing.” “Back already? What did you do, fly?” She shot him a lo...

Ironically, the last time I saw Emma was our Independence Day party. She was missing when the fireworks started, and I found her upstairs, packing.“Whats up?” I asked.“I’m leaving until you figure yourself out,” she said. “You’re drunk all the time.”Rockets boomed and crackled outside, the sky shimmering bright through the blinds. “We’re missing the fireworks,” I said.She searched my eyes, tears sliding down her cheeks.“Y...

Bradley Carlisle was a bully, but it wasn’t emotional or physical abuse that had made him this way. To the contrary, he’d been pampered and idolized all his life.After all, he was a Carlisle.It was said that his ancestors were among the elites of the elite who sailed over on the Mayflower from the old country. Whether this was true, Bradley cared not one whit. He didn’t depend on ancient history to grasp his social value....

The twisted adventures of one sick puppy.  The first time I went to Angela’s was four Saturdays ago. At work the day before, she had told Phil that she was going to stay home all weekend but she lied. She went out and got drunk. I waited outside her building smoking cigarettes in my truck and it wasn’t until 7:13 the next morning when she finally stumbled up the block with those two sluts from Accounts Receivable. They we...

Vince clenched my shirt collar and pulled me close. “This is not complicated,” he said, slipping the vial into my shirt pocket and giving it a friendly pat. “You dump this in his drink then get the hell out of there.”His face was in mine but my heart was pumping hard and he sounded far away.“You calmly serve the drinks,” he growled low. “Tell them you’ll be back with their food, walk slowly through the kitchen, down the h...

There are moments in life that determine our fates. Call them crossroads or decisions, determinations or resolutions, the labels matter not. What matters is that a choice must be made, and the reverberations of that choice will be felt for the rest of our days.Agnes has arrived at such a place.She sits with two cards in her hand, a ten of spades and a six of diamonds, the blackjack dealer standing before her. No one sits ...