One by One

by Freida McFadden

I can tell you my secret right now: At the end of this week, only one of us will make it home alive.

But she’s not married. So she gets to do whatever she wants without another person criticizing her every move.

Noah is good with the kids. I can’t say he isn’t. They adore him, and he loves them as much as I do. And that’s why we’re still together, even though we despise each other. Even though we’ve never said the words out loud, we both know we’re staying together for the kids. For now.

Then again, there’s another reason why I want to go on this trip. And anyway, the reservation is nonrefundable.

If we didn’t have two children together, I would call it quits right now. Right this minute. For a moment, I allow myself to fantasize. Noah, it’s over. It would feel so good to say those words. Instead, I climb into the passenger’s seat beside him.

Heat causes molecules to disperse, so each breath takes in less oxygen.

“That’s why mosquitoes bite you so often,” Warner says. “Mosquitoes love type O blood.”

My eyes meet Noah’s for a split second. This might be one of the last times I see him. Last night with him… It was wonderful. I made a terrible mistake when I slept with Jack. I should never have done it. I should have tried to work things out with Noah first. And now I’m paying the ultimate price.