Better Hide

The Run and Hide Duet #2

by Alina May

Jayden

At the worst moment, our little toy tries to run from us. She dares to act like she isn’t ours. So, I hunt her down and force her to remember who she belongs to. But she puts up a fight and tries to get under my skin. No one has gotten under my skin except Cole, and she does it so easily. It makes me livid. Angry.

Afraid.

Cole

Jayden is losing it. As soon as we get Jo back, we’re forced to run from the law. I watch Jayden fall apart, taking the rest of us down with him.

Mary Jo

I tried to hide, but they found me. The more time I spend with them, the more I find they want to tear me apart and look at what’s inside. My secrets aren’t safe, and neither am I. It all comes down to the do I run and hide? Or do I stand strong and face whatever they have to offer me?


Better Hide is the sequel to Better Run in the Run and Hide Duet. It is not meant to be read as a standalone. There is dark and disturbing content. Please check the author’s warnings before reading. This book is only suitable for those over 18.

Genres: Dark Romance, Dark, Romance, Why Choose, Enemies To Lovers, BDSM, Smut

262 pages, Hardcover

Published August 23, 2024

About the author

International bestselling author of books like Better Run and Wanna Play a Game? Please check content warnings!

Reviews

[anastasia ♥ hiraeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

The second book wasn’t worth it. It was trying to chase a high that ended with book 1. It‘s like Supernatural ending with the best ending it could have only to add five more seasons just for money and fame.

[Darlene I read WAY to many books · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I loved book one, and honest I thought it was a standalone, and it wasn't it was a duet.

I had a hard time with Jay and Cole and the way they acted with Mary Jo I thought with what happened in book 1 things would be more mellow and talking nopeee all wrong they were more bullhead then book 1. Mary Jo she wanted them she accepted them when she came back, but she started pulling away when the guys didn't listen to her wants and needs, and I understand Jo and want to run again. Girl thought things would change, and they didn't.

We get a lot of pull from Jo, and the guys are going through their demons. Mostly, I saw Jay and his demons. I wish he let the group in. Maybe it would've saved a lot of back and forth. Cole didn't have many demons, but he never stopped Jay when he went far. Wish he stood his ground when Jay pushed her too much with the water.



Low angst, no ow/om drama, no cheating, drama, sexy times, no virgins



Recommend-maybe
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶.5


Slowinsta
Push away from h
Anal
Baby trapping (near the end)
Blood play
Bondage
Tiny Daddy kink
Childhood abuse
Childhood physical abuse
Degradation
Exhibitionism 
Forced feeding
Impact play
Knife play
Manipulation
Masks
Mentions of drug abuse
Murder 
Orgasm denial 
Praise
Pet play / collaring 
Primal play
Sadism
Self harm
Voyeurism 
Waterboarding
Truama
Hea
Epilogue

[Kaylee Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly this was the conclusion my brain needed and wanted and i could not have asked for a better ending! I’m going to miss these characters but I’m so glad Alina graced us with this!

[krys · Rating 3 out of 5]

✯✯✯3/5 stars✯✯✯
i FLEW through this omg. the first half of this book genuinely had me crashing out, cole and jayden pissed me off to no end (especially jayden), HOWEVER- as time went on, i loved watching them change and start to get vulnerable with jo. i’ve loved cole the most since the first book and he’s still very much my favorite mmc in this book, i loved his way of caring and loving jo because he was much more open to being soft with her while also choosing his moments to be more rough and ✨unhinged✨. i loved that he wanted to get to know her by her telling him things, and not just only going off of what they found out about her by stalking her💀. he wanted to understand her and wanted to be chosen by her, and ugh he just had my whole heart 😭💕 i had a muchh harder time liking jayden, but i did see that he was going through his own struggles within himself and it made me remind myself to understand his character and root for him and his growth. he triggered my anger issues so bad at times with the way he treated jo, but this is a veryyyyy dark romance book and i suppose it’s to be expected sometimes, especially with characters who have so many layers to them and are so deeply traumatized by their past (i empathized a lot with them whenever their past was mentioned, jayden, cole, and jo all deserved so much better). by the end of this, i loved them and was so happy for how things ended up for them. i did enjoy this, i had my issues with it ofc but it was intriguing nonetheless and i just couldn’t stop reading. if you plan on reading this, as always, check the trigger warnings 🖤 your mental health matters.

[Sophie Hamstra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fucking wild

[Diem McAuliffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I freaking love this duet. Alina’s twisted mind just makes me so happy lmao. Better hide immediately follows Better run and the shenanigans the trio get themselves into. I love that we get more back story from Jo, Cole and Jayden to better understand them and why they are the way that they are (especially the boys). I love that Jo is just as feisty in book 2 and continues to fight the boys every step of the way. Rightfully so LOL. Alina’s unhinged spice strikes again. Girl had me sweating. This was so close to a 5 star for me, I just felt that I needed more near the end, right when we were getting progress from Jayden, whose character intrigued me the most, we shot into the epilogue. Which did give us more of them all healing, but I just wanted more, like the greedy bitch I am LMAO HIGHLY RECOMMEND this duet if you like your books pitch black. Check triggers like the responsible adult you are, if you need to.

[Adrianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️ ARC Review ⭐️
This book was amazing!!!!
It picks up pretty much after Better run, and it’s steamy from the get go!

We get to see some of Cole, Jayden’s and Jo’s back story and it explains so much about their personalities and trauma responses.

I was on one hell of a ride while reading this and I loved it, I wanted to smack Jayden a lot and yet give him a hug as he really seemed to struggle the most with expressing his feelings.

Cole was just adorable and had the best golden retriever energy and he really showed his softer side and it was beautiful the way he took care of both Jo and Jayden.

Jo handled her boys pretty well and did her best to set boundaries which I love in an FMC, she had her own traumas which was reflected in her flight responses when pushed too far.

Over all this was an amazing read and I can’t wait to see more from Alina!

[Drasevia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of flashbacks plus almost sixty extra pages plus finally some self-reflection from the main characters - and suddenly we have a great book!
Really MUCH, MUCH better than the first one! To such an extent that I may read this duology again in the future, because this time - with all the essential information needed - I will enjoy it completely differently and right from the beginning.
8,5/10.

[Celeste · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alina May you did it again! I LOVED it! 🖤

To complete the duet, I really enjoyed all the emotions, trauma, & flashbacks in this one. It helped me understand & appreciate the growth & healing that takes place. As sad as I am to let them go, I'm happy with how it ended. I honestly don't see how you could of made it better. (Besides just giving us more 😆)

Dark
Twisted
Trauma
MFM
Spice 🔥
Self harm
Stalker
Touch her and 💀
Unaliving
Waterboarding..
HEA
& more, so please check your triggers!

Thank you, Alina May, for giving me the opportunity to review this book! My review is completely voluntary! 🖤

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review 4.5⭐️

I was incredibly blessed to receive an arc of Better Hide! This was exactly what I needed! I ate this up in a day, it was so delicious 😋

Better Run was so good and the only reason it wasn't 5 stars was because I needed more, and Alina May gave it to me with Better Hide!!

Loved seeing our characters face their trauma, learning about their pasts and how they grow together..

This book has all of the spice, but it also has some dark themes so be sure to check your trigger warnings because it is not for the faint of heart!

Alina May, love your work, this duet together is 5 ⭐️ for me!

[Leidy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the first one. I had to stop 60% into it and read other books bc I wasn’t enjoying the story. It was repetitive and Jo & Jayden were frustrating. I skimmed through the last few chapters instead of DNFing.

[Jacqueline · Rating 2 out of 5]

i should've dnf'd this but i decided to torture myself

[ShelfishlyKelly📚 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, there are things I liked better about this one and things I liked better about the first book.

This book had less sex scenes but the ones it had were mostly darker than the first book, mostly because Jayden is working through some anger (among other things). Some of those darker moments admittedly made me uncomfortable. I know between both books these scenes are mostly pretty morally questionable due to the non-con nature, but I generally prefer the scenes from the first book better. Other things I'm not a fan of in these scenes are any time they referred to themselves as "daddy." I'm already very much not a fan of this, but even less so given Jayden and Cole's history. Also having the goal be to make her cry actually upset me. Yes hurting her is also bad but she likes pain being part of it.

I enjoyed that we got more back story of the characters in this one, in fact as I was reading I realized to be honest it was what was missing from the first book so I'm glad the author took the time to add this. Again, Jayden and Cole are not great human beings, but at least knowing their history somehow makes it easier to be understanding and maybe even a little forgiving. I felt this even in book 1, but this book really made me start to like Cole. He's done a lot of bad/immoral things, but he is a lot more willing to give into his softer side and to do thoughtful and meaningful things for Jo.

I had some issues with scenes where I felt like they didn't logistically work. The best example I can think of is the car. Sometimes when she talks about the activity happening in the car, I had trouble picturing it happening because it felt like it wouldn't really be possible. There were other non-car scenes where I felt this too, but those were the hardest for me to reconcile. There were also a handful of moments where two characters spoke within the same paragraph and it could get confusing. Most commonly, at least in the books I read, one character speaks and in a new line item the next character speaks and you can tell it's 2 or more characters by the new line items. With this, Jo might say something at the start of the paragraph and then Cole says something else by the end of the paragraph instead of starting in a new line item.

The whole premise of these books is unconventional so of course the "happy ending" is too, but it worked for this group of characters. It was nice to see that all of the characters started working on themselves via therapy and learned how to have an actual "healthy" relationship built around some admittedly twisted bedroom kinks. I know healthy in this case is a bit of a relative term, but it's healthy compared to how it started.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got the chance to ARC read this final installment to the run and hide duet. One I didn’t even think we were getting a second book with these characters so I was super surprised and excited when I found out that’s what this book was. Two if Alina writes it I’m running to read it no questions asked, and three I will never look at a cooking spoon the same ever again thanks for that Alina! lol This book starts exactly where book one left us at. This was an amazing read I might have loved this one more than the first book, I love both of the unhinged boys in the first books but I love the fact that you dig into all of their past traumas and gave us a softer side to get to know better as well. Cole has had my heart since the first book but Jayden even being the a** hat he is stole my whole freaking heart in this book! Your taken along the journey through Jo, Jayden, and Cole’s past, present, and future, Alina takes you through all the emotions, we asked for more and she followed through, I couldn’t ask for a better conclusion to this story. As always check your trigger warnings before reading but if you’re here reading this review chances are you’re already one of Alina’s lil dirty hoes!

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this read of better hide and I realllly enjoyed this one! I loved the first book in this duet so I had high hopes for the second book and it did not disappoint.

This one was dark and did a deep dive into Jayden and Cole’s backstory and their horrible abusive childhood so definitely check the trigger warnings before reading if this is a tough topic for you. It really did help me understand the characters better and feel for why they are the way that they are.

The SPICE in this was immaculate and I always love the way Alina writes her spicy scenes. I can’t wait for y’all to read this book and to get my hands on these gorgeous new covers.

[Ashieeeboo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ // ARC REVIEW:

I just want to thank this amazing sweetheart of an author for sending me the arc. I absolutely loved book one and I am so thankful!!

This book was absolutely amazing. I was beyond happy to fall back into the trio and I loved the happy ending we got to see between all three of them. Between the push and pull and all of the struggles Jo. Cole, and Jayden went through and finding that happy balance was perfect!!

This was deliciously dark as always. And I would definitely recommend if you enjoy dark romance. 🖤

[Abbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

What did I just read haha such a rollercoaster! Super messed up and dark but we all know I love that.
I couldn’t put it down.

[Lianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately this was not as good as the first book. You got more details of the past but the story seemed super repetitive. I feel like I just read book 1 all over again but not as good. The ending was alright though. Predictable.

[Emily Talbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review. THE CONCLUSION I CRAVED and Alina knocked it out of the park. I ate up Better Run in a day while on vacation this past spring and COULD NOT HANDLE that ending. I needed more! Better Hide was the perfect wrap up for Jayden, Cole and Jo. Their dynamic and relationship was 🔥 and overall inspiring considering the traumas they all had experienced throughout life. A dark and edgy twist of found family in the most unconventional of circumstances.

[Marley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jo, Cole and Jayden 😮‍💨
This book was dark, twisted and I really liked it.
The flashbacks to their pasts makes it hard to hate the characters.
It was a great ending to their story. The character growth was excellent. I love how they faced their trauma's and the ending was...dare I say it..Wholesome!

In this book you’ll find:
🖤MFM
🖤Masked Men
🖤Stalker
🖤Primal
🖤Edging
🖤CNC, Dub-Con
🖤Touch Her and 💀
🖤HEA

⚠️As always: check the TW's 🫶🏻

[Dylann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first want to say a huge thank you for allowing me to ARC read. I absolutely fell in love with Better Run AND I ABSOLUTELY LOVED BETTER HIDE! I missed all the chaos within this universe. It definitely answered the questions that were left open after Better Run. The possession is REAL!!

You must read Better Run first or else you’ll be completely lost. As always, please check TW’s. Your mental health matters.

[Jenn (myspookybookishlife) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg this book was a whole bunch of wow!!!! Jayden, Cole and Jo were so much fun to read about in this one and Jayden was even more unhinged!!! This book was impossible to put down they pulled me in and didn’t let go. Also getting all of their backstories making it so much more intriguing. Seeing Jayden’s punishments for Jo for leaving them and fighting his own demons makes you realize just how broken he is and how hard it is to let people in. We also got to see some of Cole demons as well and realize that our funny guy was using it as I means to forget. Watching of all of them fight for their relationship, especially Jo who kept trying to run away was exhilarating!!

[Nichole Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I literally just devoured this book in one sitting. I knew I wouldn't be disappointed because I loved Better Run, but lord this one was absolutely fantastic. Jayden and Cole are absolutely unhinged and I am totally here for it. I loved how we got to learn more about Jay, Cole, and Jo's pasts. The trauma they each have endured was heartbreaking. I was so drawn to Cole in this one because of his sensitive side. I absolutely loved the growth they each showed by the end. The ending was perfection, even though I'm sad it's over. 10/10 recommend!

[Stephanie Stogsdill · Rating 4 out of 5]

*CHECK THE TRIGGERS*

This is a Dark Romance! Make sure you read the triggers before touching this book.

Alina has done it again with the 2nd book of this series.

Make sure you read Better Run before touching this book!

The growth of these characters and the way the story flows is absolutely amazing!

[Bea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t realize how much I needed this second part of the story and Alina did such a good job with it.

I loved that it wasn’t just a simpler happy ever after.
I was so sucked into the back and forth, the push and pull bc Jo wasn’t going to roll over and let these two walk all over her.

The spice and thrill of the journey was so delicious, I couldn’t get enough!
This being a duet was 100% what I needed in my heart

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

This is the second installment in the Run and Hide Duet. PLEASE read trigger warnings as this book is very dark. While I may love it, others may not.

What you can look forward to:

🔸Dark Romance
🔸Why Choose
🔸Masked Men
🔸Stockholm Syndrome
🔸Major Stalking
🔸Never Let You Go vibes
🔸Strong FMC

This book picks up right where we left off in Better Run. I could not put this book down to save my life!! I'm not sure how Alina did it, but she wrote a much darker and spicier book than the first one. 🤤 Girl, your brain is unhinged and I am HERE FOR IT!

I normally don't care much for back stories that are time jumps in books. But it was absolutely necessary because we needed to know and understand why Jayden, Cole and even Jo are the way they are. I feel that they were always meant to find each other in a sick and twisted way. 😈 It was clear from the first book that Jayden and Cole had been through something truly traumatizing when they were younger. This book expanded on that and we are able to watch both men actually begin to heal. So much YAYY! 

I loved seeing the individual relationships form. At first, Jo fought tooth and nail to get away, and then continued to try and get away. Once she stopped trying to run she realized that the boys needed her and that she also needed them in a way. And good Lord!! I seriously rooted for them so much during this book! 

Overall, I needed this book as a conclusion to their story. While there were many red flags, I couldn't have wanted it any other way. This will always be one of my favorites when I recommend books to others. And I will always wish that I could re-read this duet again for the first time. 

[s · Rating 1 out of 5]

i feel like this story didn’t need another book. it was literally chapter after chapter of not listening when she said no. a lot of red flags. there was barely any character development. the mmc’s annoyed me.

[Alina · Rating 2 out of 5]

It honestly made me mad more than anything

[Amanda Servos · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review 😈 - Rating: 4.5 ⭐️
Spice: 4.5 🌶️

‼️ Please read the TWs first!! There are a bunch people may not be comfortable with.

‘Cole smirks. “Better run, little one.” Jayden lifts an eyebrow. “Better hide, kitten. You won’t like it when we catch you.”

My goodness, if I thought I was in love with Better Run, Better Hide blew it out of the water! Right from the get-go you continue from the end of the last book, so you’re still submersed in the story of Jo, Cole and Jayden.

Jo still is struggling with the fact she both hates and is aroused by her captors and you can almost feel exactly how she feels. I love that she’s strong and fights her way through the entire book, keeping her guard up as much as she feels necessary, while still trying to reason with and figure out the two men. I also love how she gets under their skin and finds a way to give them a bit of their own medicine.

You finally find out more about why both Cole and Jayden are the way they are, and it breaks my heart. I guess that’s why Stockholm syndrome is such a messy topic, because it can absolutely rope you into feeling bad for terrible people even though you know you shouldn’t. However, because of their broken pasts, you can understand also why they justify their actions to a certain point. I would never condone this in the real world, but I LOVE my men morally black in my books so of course I would give myself over to these two 🥵😂.

I fell for Cole’s “sweeter” nature in the first book and when it amped up more in the second book I swooned. Jayden was definitely a harder egg to crack but I was impressed when he finally came to his own epiphany about his relationship with Jo. You really see all 3 characters develop more and go through all the highs and lows in their unique triangle. I will absolutely be purchasing a hard copy of this book for my own collection. The bonus chapter at the end? *chefs kiss* I was a happy girl with that one 🤤😉.

My *only* reasoning for not giving 5 stars, is I need longer books! I am so captivated by the story and crave more haha. I feel like we finally got into Jayden’s change and then it was almost rushed at the end. Otherwise, it was glorious.

Once again, you have me in a chokehold with your books and writing style, Alina May! Thank you for giving me the chance to be an arc reviewer 🖤 I’m so grateful! You have a fan for life 🙌🏽.

[Book_O_Holic · Rating 4 out of 5]

5/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖’𝕤 𝕟𝕠 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕣𝕦𝕟𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕞𝕖. ℕ𝕠 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕙𝕚𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘. 𝕊𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕒𝕟’𝕥 𝕖𝕤𝕔𝕒𝕡𝕖 𝕞𝕖, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕀’𝕞 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕝𝕚𝕗𝕖 𝕒 𝕝𝕚𝕧𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕗𝕦𝕔𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕙𝕖𝕝𝕝.

𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝘂𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝘆𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗝𝗼. 𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗲…𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹. 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗝𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗝𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗦𝗘 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝘂𝗻. 𝗛𝗼𝘄𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿, 𝗮𝘀 𝗜 𝗸𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗱𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲. 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

“𝕀’𝕝𝕝 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕤𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕙, 𝕁𝕠. ℙ𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕤𝕖 𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕡 𝕙𝕚𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕞𝕖.” 𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕟, 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟 𝕤𝕠𝕗𝕥𝕖𝕣, “𝕀 𝕟𝕖𝕖𝕕 𝕪𝕠𝕦.”

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗝𝗮𝘆𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗲. 𝗠𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗝𝗼, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗝𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁. 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝗮𝗯𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝘂𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝘂𝗽. 𝗝𝗮𝘆𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿. 𝗝𝗼…𝗜’𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗝𝗮𝘆𝗱𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.

“𝔾𝕖𝕥 𝕠𝕟 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕜𝕟𝕖𝕖𝕤 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕦𝕤. 𝕊𝕦𝕓𝕞𝕚𝕥 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕘𝕠𝕠𝕕 𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕥𝕝𝕖 𝕨𝕙𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕨𝕖 𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕨 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕒𝕣𝕖.”

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹! 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗹, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝘅𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲. 𝗜’𝗺 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗛𝗘𝗔 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗶𝗲 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘆 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹…𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗸𝗶𝗱𝗻𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿…𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲…𝗵𝗲𝗵𝗲.

𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗺 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹…𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻!

𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝗽𝘂𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗼 𝗳𝗮𝗿 𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸!