sting of antiseptic and the rhy

vate wing of the

ll, heavy ache, and my head fe

of nausea and dizziness shov

r click

walk

s shirt was rumpled, the top

c part of me hoped that the disarra

ake," he s

?" I asked, m

esting. She

hit," I sa

es flashing with sudden anger. "She's not

d I

ose thi

staring out at the grey s

her?" he asked, h

came

lie t

owly. His face was

er there. She said you

cusation was so absurd it

ha

nted to get her

I choked out. "

d y

ements predatory. He loomed o

trolled hit to play the

He was twisting reality to fit her narr

curity camera

ras in that dump yo

r opene

walk

She looked pale, yes, but perfectly gr

voice pitching high and

osture softening. He wrapped a pr

y, baby.

at me over

hard, glitteri

in?" she asked, her voice tr

n Oscar-worthy performa

e said, hi

t me, and the so

going to hu

d back to

t u

gery," I said, pressin

t u

d arm and yanked

, my legs

ripped out

tered onto the

elled from the hallway

dered, his voice thun

He hauled me down the corrido

e out into t

gain. A cold, re

n in the center of the garden. The w

ed me t

wet pavement, the impact j

lled over the sound of the rain

back of my neck

ad down toward

please,"

narled close to my ear. "Sofia i

y head unde

ck paralyzed

my nose. I cou

t his wrist, my nails

He held me there

sec

seco

on fire. Panic exploded in my

lled

ing, sputterin

ear me?" h

," I coughed, water s

d me und

, he held

n at the edges of my vision, na

ped fi

nt l

p again and th

ncrete, coughing up wat

ed blood was mixing with the rain and the fount

ver me, his c

down at

sk slipped. He looked horr

ked up at the b

was wa

illing whatever pity h

he said, his voice devoid of em

ked away, leaving

rain, too w

low away from me, dra

nd with it, the last drop of

w a service gate near

slightl

ly distracted by the com

I could

to c

one thing f

, I would die out