I nced back at Colin, feeling a knot in my chest I couldn''t quite untangle.


    Colin''splexion was off, clearly upset by the idea of me leaving with Dexter.


    But I had to know. "Tell me, who kidnapped me? Who hurt me?"


    I wanted to see if Colin would divulge the truth.


    He stood there, a picture of helplessness and panic.


    Reaching out, he tried to pull me to his side.


    For a moment, I was tempted to go to him, to close that distance, but my better judgment prevailed. "Tell me, who hurt me?"


    Colin''s hand, suspended in mid-air, slowly dropped. He remained silent.


    Nodding, I turned to Dexter. "I''ll go with you."


    Dexter seemed pleased, leading me toward his car. "Phoebe, let''s go."


    I didn''t look back but hoped Colin would stop me.


    Yet, as I climbed into Dexter''s car, Colin said nothing. He stood there, head bowed, engulfed in what seemed like a painful struggle.


    "I''ll ask you one more time... who was it?" My eyes reddened, my heart in turmoil.


    Who could Colin be protecting so fiercely?


    Colin looked up, his eyes glistening, and finally spoke. "Phoebe, It was me."


    He imed responsibility. "All of it..."


    He took all the me upon himself. He''d rather have me hate him, despise him, stay away from him, than reveal who truly harmed me!


    "I didn''t lie." Dexter''s cold gaze fell on Colin as he shut the car door.


    Looking at Colin standing outside, I felt a wave of disappointment.


    And heartache.


    Colin clenched his fists so tightly I could see the blood trickling down from his palms.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    "Dexter told me, during the time you


    went missing, your parents were frantic When they found you, they said Colin had lured you away, kept captive. He''s a con artist."


    Dexter exined why Colin had kidnapped me.


    "He imed to love you, but you had seen through him and wanted to break up with him." Dexter pulled out a letter from his pocket. "Take a look this is what you once wrote to Colin."


    As the car started to pull away, I watched Colin through the window. He stood there, shrouded in gloom.


    Taking the letter from Dexter, I nced at it. The handwriting was unmistakably mine.


    "Imara found it at your old ce. Your parents discovered this letter in the basement where he kept you captive," Dexter rified.


    Reading the letter, my words were cold, my tone decisive.


    [Colin, I feel nothing. Agreeing to date you was out of curiosity about love and wanting to experience what normal people feel. But it''s clear, no matter what, I can''t truly love you: I can''t possess love and normal emotions like a normal person. Let''s end this. I can''t keep deceiving you and myself. From Phoebe Caldwell.]


    The letter marked the end of my rtionship with Colin.


    "This lunatic turns dangerous when he doesn''t get his way. He''s a genuine madman, a danger to be around," Dexter frowned, urging me to see the reality.


    "Dexter..." Holding the letter, my chest ached profoundly.


    Dexter looked at me, his gaze intense.


    "Stop the car," I demanded, my voice firm.