24 Fifteen years earlier
The air always felt different when she was around. Lighter, somehow. Although today it was anything but. She was usually so much fun, so friendly and bubbly. He’d never seen this side of her before, and he wasn’t sure he liked it much.
Russell knew he was no angel, but he always tried to do the right thing — even if it meant failing more often than not. Of course, everyone had their weaknesses…
He could tell she was upset about something. It was clearly something he’d done, too. Surely she hadn’t found out about… No, there was no way. He’d been careful. In any case, what worried him most was the silence. There was never silence when she was around. There were giggles and infectious laughter. That, amongst other things, was what appealed most about her. But today
