Saddened, Silas stood motionless in the spot Tabitha left him.

The words she spoke before leaving felt like sharp blades, each making its way into his soul and stabbing it. He was hurt and angry, not at Tabitha, but at the people who had killed her inside.

The outcome of his conversation with Tabitha did not surprise him. He had expected it from the beginning, but expecting it to happen and it happening were two different things.

Silas did not agree that the night they shared was a mistake, but could Tabitha be right that it should never have happened?

This was why he had been hesitant to have his...