JACKSON'S POV

When I woke up and realized that Vera and Timothy were nowhere in the house, a heavy wave of dread settled in my chest. I knew instantly that she must have come up with her own plan to get me to open up.

She didn’t understand it yet. The reason I was keeping my distance. But I wasn’t trying to hurt her. I was doing it to protect her.

Keeping her away from everything was the only way I could ensure her safety. If she knew the full extent of what was going on, she would insist on being involved. She would want to accompany me everywhere, to...