an'

never c

t his knuckles grazed my ear instead of my jaw. The momentu

led, grabbing at air, at nothing. The purse flew from his hand, hitting the wall with a dull t

ond, nobo

like they belonged to someone else. My brother, a

came out wheezy. He rolled onto his s

wung f

ly touc

s time. Not from fear or heartbreak. From something darker.

d, stained his fingers. He looked at it like he'd never seen his own blood before. Maybe he hadn't. Golden

held up his hand, show

over his face, his shoulders, checking for damage like he'd been hit by a car instead

but gently. Always gentle with her.

ot a p

e in my girlfri

words tasted like aci

ugh he didn't need it. "Past tense. Get it through your thic

na. She wouldn

ller than I wanted. "Tell me you loved me.

outh. Closed it.

understand. I'm twenty-six years old. I can't keep living like we're

lding that

ng gigs?" She shook her head. "That's

money." The words felt heavy, fina

can give me things you can't. Nice dinners. Vacations. A

d you wi

yes were hard. "Don't you get it? I don't want to be someone's charity case. I

a two-thousand

and faded shirt. "Look at yourself, Ethan. You're falling apart trying to impr

verything felt wrong, like I'd wok

tly. "I was obsessed. With

possessive, deliberate. "You know what your problem is, little bro? You think being poor makes you nob

ng up the purse from where it had fallen. The leather was soft

d, blood still on his teet

ly looked, giving her one la

," she said. Simp

arm. "I hope his money keeps you warm at night. I hope it fills w

is exactly why we didn't work. You're

ed at the door. "You're

er apar

gone." He looked at

or half a second

tired. "Please just leave. Y

word hit like a punc

waist. "This whole thing. Showing up unannou

you cheati

taking

ce when were we

dn't a

gh concrete. "You know what's really embarrassing? I actually thought you were diffe

she said. "That

dn't look back. Couldn't. If I looked back,

heard the deadbolt click. Then

ere la

ection in the polished doors. Sunken eyes. Hollow cheeks. Wh

loor. By the time I reached the lo

ight, Ethan,"

uldn't. If I opened

cold that found every gap in your clothes and crawled inside. I had no co

Past

turned into something else. Somethin

tr

an, burni

hated Lena for choosing it. I hated myself for

hone

nd kept walking into the night until I disappeared. But

wn nu

or tell me my social security number had been compromised

el

erly, male, cultured. Like someone

s ask

aster. I've been searching f

Right. Defin

selling. And I don't have any money, so if th

his end. "You have quite a lot of m

secretly rich. And I'm also the king of England. Listen, old man,

ather has been looking for you since you we

destination in mind. Just away. Away from that b

ing of your biological grandfather. Mr. Ste

ng. Some made-up rich person's name.

nging u

r bank account. You'll

he phone from my ear. "H

ung

zing sidewalk, breath m

ot? Might as well see how broke I rea

one was old, the screen crac

numbers

lin

ked

ers didn

hundred and thirty-seven dollars this morning, no

our c