BenHad it really only been a week since I left Portland? I had such a busy week, trying to keep the company going and working with David to figure out what was going on with the possible murders, it felt like a lifetime had passed.When I landed in Portland, the sweet relief that came with coming home washed over me, and I knew it had been a good idea to come back. Even though I had said my goodbyes to everyone as if I was never coming home. I desperately needed a break away from all the drama that was happening in New York. I needed to clear my head and see the people that meant the most to me. Now that Uncle Dean was dead, even though Penny was still there, I didn’t have anyone to lean on in New York anymore.Now that I was in Portland again, I wanted to talk to Mila. I had shattered her by shutting her down before I left. I had thought it was the right thing to do, then. When I had tried to call her from New York, she had been switched off, and I knew it was all my fault. I had re

MilaSkylar and I were at The Cottage again on Saturday night. This time, I felt better. I had slept most of the day and having a break from the ICU and all the patients that were fighting for their lives had done me good. I was laughing again, and I didn’t feel like I was being dragged down by life itself anymore.I had on a mint-green summer dress and ballerina flats. Skylar wore blue that made her eyes look like ice, and we sat at the bar, laughing and talking and drinking. Jerrod was with us, and even though I hadn’t been on the best terms with him, we were getting along tonight. I couldn’t always treat him like shit because my life hadn’t worked out the way I had wanted it to.We were having a good time. Skylar was telling us about something that had happened at the offices where she worked, and Jerrod and I were in stitches. Skylar was hilarious when she was tipsy, and it was only getting worse.“Can I join you?” a familiar voice said behind me. When I turned, Ben stood there in

BenI lay in the bed my mom had set up for me in the office and looked up at the ceiling I had grown up under. I had always had pictures of models and sports teams on the walls. Now, the walls were bare, save for a water painting that one Miranda Castle had given my mom.Miranda, Mila and Jerrod’s mom, was my mom’s best friend. Their friendship was one of the reasons Jerrod and I had known each other for so long. Our friendship had started with play-dates in kindergarten so that our moms could get together and talk shit. Or share parenting tips. Or whatever it was that women talked about when they got together.Who would have thought that so many years down the line, I would have fallen for my best friend’s little sister? I had practically grown up with her. I had been in the Castle’s house or restaurant so many times, Mila had felt like my own sister.But that had changed. I didn’t see her as a sister at all, now.She had been distant when I had first arrived, last night. She had bee

MilaOn Monday, back at work, I was as busy as I had been the previous week. A lot of the patients were no better despite the time that had passed. I had relaxed over the weekend, able to get my mind off everything that had been happening at the hospital, and I was ready to jump in again and do what needed to be done.Some of the patients had been put into medically induced comas so that they didn’t have to deal with the pain. There was a time when that hadn’t been possible, and every day I saw how the patients were suffering. I was thankful for modern medicine. The medication helped so much when a patient couldn’t tolerate the pain.Before I started with my duties, I was informed that some of the patients would be brought out of their comas. Two of them could be moved to a recovery room, about which I was relieved. Even though they would move to someone else’s care, it meant that they were healing well enough that they could walk out of here again.That was all that mattered.“Nurse,

BenWednesday finally rolled around. I had made the most of the days in between while I counted down to see Mila again. I had gone to the station to see the guys. I had worked as a firefighter – my dream job – for only a few short weeks after Uncle Dean had bought the company from me to give me my freedom. But then he had passed away. I had built wonderful friendships, but I’d had to quit. They had all wished me well except Tyler. I had gone to school with him back in the day, and he’d been hostile.When I had gone to see them, Tyler had been distant and switched off, polite but nothing more. I had been upset until Sam, one of the other firefighters and the worst cook that ever walked the face of the earth, told me that Tyler became very attached to people and hadn’t taken my departure very well.I felt bad that I had done it to him, but he wasn’t the only person I had left behind.I had spent time with other friends and family members, too. But I was mainly back in Portland for Mila,