OBEYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FATHER

pte

forget abou

ally

ty didn't die-

rs

gri

mistakes. He didn't let things s

ll was that d

as he

. You're not his wife. You'

e his

you take what he gives y

stil

ratched at my r

, Dante wa

re t

ed the soup I made, and whispered in my

rying to lo

like he k

osed, I watched the number

t for t

My heart was pounding. Every part of me s

om. Sam

rol. Expens

black altar-clean,

awer was s

nt d

l silver keyhole

was some

the wood. Like it had b

lse had t

. he

e-loc

h

th the drawer, nearly invisib

den l

ath hi

ingers tremblin

ic

wer sli

inside made m

ot

ze

m

rec

. year

Walking in the rain. Sl

d have taken. No on

he

organized. L

hort notes writ

e she smil

. Still u

ome. Ava watch

desk, hands shaking, he

watching m

g before I stepped in

't a slow

was a

d, caref

ked right

va

stopped

sp

od in the

it. Tie loosened. Shi

is ey

eren't

ere on

y, quietly, like a

opene

llowe

through

didn't

omething I told y

ered. "You've been watch

id no

sta

drawer, locked it,

tinctively unti

inches fr

scared,"

es

shoul

was low. S

oy to you," I said, my vo

ever just a

what w

at me for

s hand and touche

e exact spot where the

ered. "Long before I ever touched

t's

aned in. "But

est h

"Because they were the only thing that kept me from dr

twice

man who knows how

isse

a

in

issed h

e I ha

I need

danger made

tie me t

ank me or ca

to me like a

ep. Unre

e, I didn't ne

he didn'

n his chest, his arm wrap

ed, "Why

speak fo

belonged to anyone. And I needed s

's tw

me is twisted. And

n't d

ed into the kitchen while I w

fr

me. "That's...

wardly. "Laun

"You slept

ea

t telli

d you wer

ee and gave me a weird look. "

ed. "Diff

yes. "I don't know

ked o

r head. "Never mind. May

ced a

eyes l

nt, I knew somet

crack ha

tarting t

truth final

destroy e