lent shaking in her hands to stop. She pushed he

rack, her line of sight crossed the narrow hall

raft Mac & Cheese. His movements were efficient,

r mind superimposed the image of him in a bespoke suit, stepping o

ablished her absolute priority: save enough money an

and grabbed the original owner's phone. She nee

bills and credit card overdraft alerts popped up

e original owner and Cyrus. The screen

e ar

oney to me

a useles

. She aggressively hit the lock butto

rom the kitchen. Cyrus poured the macaroni into

of Aliya sneaking around the living room. He

ly shoved the phone into her pajama pocket and f

what to do with her hands. She finally settled

ni into two chipped porcelain bowls. Through the rising

anded it to Aliya. His movements wer

gesture. As she took the bowl, her fingertips accident

een burned. His brows locked together. He

ened. She immediate

he said, her voice ba

e night completely shattered Cyrus's cogn

pale, makeup-free face. He was searching

helin-star meal. The hot, heavy calories hit her empty stomach, providing a desperate, small burst of energy. The lingering dizziness from

food was garbage and would rather starve than touch it

r and sat down. He threw ou

throw up if you ever a

coughed violently, her cheek

glass of water, but his hand stopped halfway.

er breath. Her brain s

he forced a dry laugh. "Every

out a low scoff. He didn't press further. He

ear the dishes. Aliya sprang up like a coiled sprin

em!" she anno

n full blast, desperately trying to use the sound of r

back as she scrubbed the bowls. A complex emotion flashed t