The Last Time I Cried Your Name novel Chapter 1

When Petty stepped out of the police station, it was already deep into the night. Snow drifted down in soft, quiet sheets, coating the world in white.

People on the street kept sneaking glances at her. She knew what they saw—a woman with bruises on her face, hair a mess, limping with every step. Still, Petty blocked it all out. She kept her head down, her eyes fixed on the shattered screen of her phone, barely noticing anything else.

Her fingers shook as she dialed, the skin raw and marked with cuts. She typed in those eleven numbers, the same ones she’d tried calling in a panic while she was being attacked. Just like before, nobody picked up.

A snowflake landed right on her lashes. She blinked, and the cold melted into her eyes, stinging a little. Petty let out a quiet laugh, the sound thin and almost bitter.

Pathetic. That’s what she thought. She felt it in her bones.

Her arm dropped, heavy and useless, just as the call suddenly connected.

“What is it?” The man’s voice on the other end sounded low and a little distant, like he couldn’t care less.

Petty’s grip tightened around the phone. For a second, she forgot how to breathe. “Fran—”

“Franco, Laura’s looking for you.” It was Franco’s assistant, cutting her off before she could even finish. Then Franco’s voice came back, even colder than before. “I’ll call you back.”

The line went dead. The empty buzz of the dial tone echoed in her ear, leaving her standing there alone at the edge of the street. The only sound was the whisper of snow falling under the glare of the streetlights. She stood there, shaking, feeling impossibly small.

Suddenly, someone draped a jacket over her shoulders. Warmth seeped through the fabric, surprising her. Petty blinked up and saw Jared standing there, his eyes dark and serious as he looked her over.

“Who did this to you?” His voice was sharp with anger, and it made her realize just how battered she must look.

She let out a shaky breath that turned to mist in the cold air and shook her head. “I managed to grab some of their hair when they attacked me, and there’s skin under my nails. The police should be able to get their DNA. They’ll find them soon.”

Jared just stared for a second, clearly surprised she could stay so calm after everything. That was Petty, though. She always held it together, no matter what.

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