I was sure now that Alexander had read my father’s letter. Even still, he had been trying to give me the benefit of the doubt when he confronted me. That left a margin of hope for me to hold onto.
The sun was setting as I rode back to the palace, and it was full dark by the time I was walking up to our bedroom door. But I knew even before opening it that Alexander would not be inside. I could feel his absence.
Sure enough, the room was dark and empty. I locked the door behind me and went to sit on the bed. Looking over at Alexander’s side, I wondered where he might be. And when, or if, he would come home to me.
The early morning had me on my knees on the bathroom floor, throwing up what little I had in my stomach. And after that, I felt I had been drained of nearly all my life forc
