Graysen Cooper

For Elizabeth, the uncertainty of Frank's moods was never-ending...

     I did love my husband – once upon a time – before he started drinking more – before Frankie was born.

     Before, I wasn't enough.  

     We lived paycheck to paycheck, and more often than not, our tabs went unpaid when Frank gambled the money away or spent it on the whores.

     Eventually, that became preferable to him being home. And It meant I didn't have to suffer through his abuse, name-calling, and anger.

     Why wasn't my husband as – compassionate as the man who lived above me?

Graysen's career was his life until he met his new neighbor...

     What was it about my new neighbor that piqued my interest. Was it her lovely face, gentle nature, or the way her blush covered her cheeks with soft color when she noticed my interest.  

     Elizabeth was a married woman. It was best that I forget all about her and concentrate on my work. That was easier said than done.

     Once I heard her cries at night and saw the bruises her husband left on her pale skin. I wanted to kill the man.

     Especially after I coaxed her into my arms and held her trembling–warm–body.