woke up
ly stared at the ceiling, try
ories came r
ro
stra
ki
rned h
pty, but the sheets were still warm. Who
y pushed her
edar, rain, and something she could
oved aroun
was lying neatly
ly f
frow
inly not left
ed to the pill
card s
picke
's head embossed in one corner and a numb
red at
the
mach ti
upposed to
eeks b
now, except the parts her mind
ey
be
seen eyes li
came bac
wrong door, li
a swa
abric of her dress, the strange heat o
thing beca
t to think abo
r dress and hu
s, she was ou
down as she walked
ist avoided l
elevator glanced
tended not
lked f
e glass doors of Crestwood Grand
morning air
e sidewalk and to
been a
was
ft at the diner. At the front desk, the boy had g
ought it w
e had opene
aight into a s
shook h
er a
way without
't know
t want to
didn't expect to e
was
-
on her knees beside the toilet
to reach the bathroom
le body
ck to her forehead
ve of naus
eyes and waited
ounded on
ren
's v
you o
m f
en in ther
comin
d from the
k every morning this w
lushed t
robably
running to the bathroom
didn't
ootsteps disappear
rena lifte
ed back at her from
ked exh
eyes. Her lips were pale, an
she placed a han
side her fel
felt it
ried to i
had bought a
n too afrai
ldn't avoid
or the small box
embled as sh
s later, she
li
ared a
e looke
N
was bare
ked up
li
as no m
sank onto the
eas
filled wi
as pr
n with one man i
e
ni
rible m
both hands o
obs just to help pay her mother's hospital b
supposed to
upposed to te
that she didn't even
out a sha
r phone
d toward
wn nu
gnore
ne buzz
tared
ai
ag
eps cal
tempt, she snatc
el
le
a fro
el
he hea
t v
e
ili
d in her dreams more times
saying goodbye,
na f
color drained
ightened arou
you get m
came through
the h
idn't
he building w
t began
e businesses
stood
are
ady know
know yo
pa
and
swal
don w
stwo
yes w
stw
ho
ered the s
od Gran
tever you want, I don't have it.
call abo
are you ca
you dis
s one
t just on
closed
ve gone into that room. I made a
e became
n't a m
way he said it mad
you talk
n looking
tightened ar
hy
couldn't
t know wh
s voice
we
int
olf hasn't stoppe
a fro
r wh
wo
ay from her ear for a s
s man s
y. "I think I understa
ghed s
derstand s
stand anything. I want
can
y n
u're carryi
topped b
ed to go comp
ha
n sme
nctively moved
re ly
eks and t
yes w
did yo
's been since you w
s heart
been tra
need to t
ow do y
cent ch
at the ba
this mad
sick," sh
kno
omach
vomiting ev
kno
s voice
ow
nce fo
ietly, "Because you'
away from
N
ren
all me like
ow en
know anythi
you're
allowe
not
r came im
N
a fro
N
mine because
time, his vo
because my wo
laughed fro
n't even m
wi
ing anywher
ask you
at do yo
oming
s heart
on
e there
stay awa
N
rd was
rt
yes filled
even kn
u w
pau
voice s
s Brandon
said
, "are the woman my wol
all e
ared at t
unding so hard s
y lowered
un
sounded r
o
u
u
n was
nd apparently no under
trembling hand o
are what h
ooked
baby i
mth moved thr
pushed the f
outside caugh
in front of the
ac
ens
rk enough that she
ed toward
steppe
ack suit and
ide the car
e look
t at he
s breat
d below t
lammed agai
N
raised her
still stan
chi
ed away fro
d fou
knew this was o
/1/129733/coverbig.jpg?v=47d5638d524dc4a3a56d95d1cebb4c34&imageMogr2/format/webp)