There is Bette carrying baby Angelica, smiling to an unknown woman in what I presume is a park.

There is me, alone in my car. In Milan. I recognize the streets. I am staring at my lap, I don’t remember when this photo could have been taken, probably I was to engrossed in my thoughts to notice that someone was checking on me.

There are Shane and Carmen, hugging on a dance floor and laughing, looking happy.

And all I can think about is that Marshall is the third victim of this game. That we are in danger. That Cassandra is missing. That she is pregnant. That I have to go, and, at least for now, I have to leave Marshall here.

”You know you’ve got a lot to learn
You feel it but your heart won’t burn
The fear is running every nerve
Your turning to the ones you’ve hurt
Nothing ever satisfies
You’re screaming but your tongue’s still tied
Starving but your love won’t feed
Nothing ever sets you free”

**

“This is it?”, I ask Shane and my voice comes out suffocated and trembling.

She just nods slowly and stares at her own hands on the table.

“Yeah, this is it, baby. That’s all”.

I let go a shaking sigh.

“You have been paying John Sanders visits for months and you didn’t tell me…”, I murmur, and Shane looks up.

“No, Carm. That was the last time. I haven’t been checking on him since then. I never came back to the hospital, I –“.

“Checking on him? Shane, Sanders doesn’t need to be checked!”, I exclaim furiously.

“What?! You know what’s happening to us! You know that we’re in danger! Maybe it’s not Sanders but I explained you. I needed to be sure, I needed to…”.

Her voice fades and I just shake my head tiredly.

“I am sorry, Shane…”, I murmur rubbing my forehead, “…I didn’t know that you needed to –“.

“It’s okay”, she cuts in abruptly, grabbing my hands and kissing them. Softly, repeatedly. “…The only important thing, for me, is that you understand that I love you, that didn’t cheat on you, that I didn’t kiss that woman back, and that I didn’t want to do you any harm… You have to believe me, Carmen”.