Ch. Mr.chatterbox for her, Mr.Icebox for me? Ice melts and so did my love. 65 Mr.chatterbox for her, Mr.Icebox for me? Ice melts and so did my love. 65

Chapter 6 

Even after I moved to that forgotten town three hours upstate, I couldn’t fully escape my old life. 

Quinn’s social media was one long highlight reel of their perfect romance. 

Zachary taking her to Africa for the great migration. Crafting matching rings in some artisan workshop. Sickeningly sweet couple selfies. Visiting her rural hometown, playing the hero passing out care packages at the senior center. 

And everywhere else online-his face. His story. 

The legendary cop who went deep cover for a decade and brought down the biggest crime family in the state. 

Even at the corner bodega, people talked about the Whitmore takedown like Zachary was some action movie hero. 

When you’re that far gone, you hate everything. 

I hated Zachary for destroying me. 

Hated my father for the choices he made. 

Hated the world for being this brutal. 

Hated myself for not being strong enough. 

I stopped leaving the apartment. Stopped functioning. 

A box of ramen lasted me a week. 

When I got thirsty, I drank straight from the tap. 

Spent entire nights staring at the peeling ceiling. 

Watched it go from black to gray to pale morning light. 

My weight dropped to ninety pounds. 

Zachary reached out once during that time. 

Because of Quinn. 

15:58 

Mr Chatterb 

Chapter 6 

And when Denny turned sixteen, I made another rash call-I took him in. 

The dirty money Dad left behind-I gave all of it away. 

To survive, to keep Denny in school, I had to work. 

My hands didn’t work anymore. But my eye was still sharp. 

So I taught myself photography. Started taking freelance gigs. 

Turns out when you’re busy, the pain dulls. 

At least I wasn’t drowning in memories every waking second. 

Two years passed like that. 

Denny turned eighteen. Got into college back home in the city. 

He looked at me carefully: 

“If you’re not ready to go back, I’ll catch the bus out here every weekend. I don’t mind.” 

I shook my head. 

“It’s time.” 

My photography work was starting to take off. I needed to be where the opportunities were. 

Denny hesitated, then said quietly: 

“I always thought… maybe you stayed out here because there was someone back there you couldn’t face.” 

Someone I couldn’t face? 

Yeah. Probably. 

That’s when it hit me. 

Oh. 

I hadn’t thought about Zachary Hart in months.