Goodbye, Mr. Regret

She couldn't say it out loud.

In her heart, Herbert Wheeler and Vince Zimmerman occupied entirely different places. She couldn't even explain what made the difference-just that it was there. Some things, like the humiliation she suffered at the hands of Timothy Lawson, she could confide in Vince, but she could never bring herself to tell Herbert.

An accident severe enough to make the car explode there was no way things could be that simple.

Jessica Greene's silence weighed on him. He felt a deep ache in his chest.

"Little Mute," he called to her softly. That was his special name for her a term of endearment only he used.

"I've left the Wheeler family. You don't have to worry about them holding me back anymore. He can't use the family to threaten you again."

He hadn't planned on telling her this. But Jessica never liked to burden others; she was always thinking of everyone else before herself. He couldn't stand watching her swallow all her pain alone. He wanted her to know she wasn't alone. If she needed someone, he'd be there, no questions asked.

Jessica couldn't bring herself to answer.

The day she saw the news, her first impulse had been to call him, to ask what had happened. But in the end, she kept quiet. What he wanted, she couldn't give. At least...not now.

She forced a small smile. "Why would you do something so foolish? Did you really leave the Wheeler family just for me?"

He nodded.

They had known each other since they were young. Back then, after school, Herbert would always wait at the gate for her, only heading home with his friends after she'd come out.

He'd walk behind her, worried that someone might mock or taunt her. Ever since Herbert started shadowing her to and from school, the kids who used to tease her for being "the mute girl” had gradually disappeared.

to get my ID. Wait here for me, okay? Afterward...could you

"Of course."

his suitcase until she found her

bag and

started the car. "You don't need to take the train. I'll

was planning to

home, he'd insist on taking her. Asking him to wait and drive her to the station was just an excuse— there were

me make a call

her phone, just as Vince's name lit

She answered.

voice came through immediately. "Jess, you need

eln

to the hospital with him. Timothy was in surgery, and while they waited, Vince questioned Mabel. Apparently, Timothy had intended to have their names tattooed on each other and had brought in two artists to do

for help, and then dragged her and the tattoo artists to another location. The car accident that followed was easy to figure out-Jessica, desperate and unwilling to have Timothy's name branded on her, must have done something to try to save herself, and that led to

far

Jessica go back with

fix," Vince said, voice tight. "This is my problem. He's not going to tell me about it just because you try to please him, so stop being

He'd rather see Jessica with Herbert-even if it meant he'd never

She'd been fooled by Timothy too many times; she should never have believed that spending a final "cooling-off" month with him at The Gilded Whisper Estates would make him