eters

I refused the driver the Phelps family sent and called

sing in on me from all sides. It felt col

ted as a nursery. The door was closed

against the wall. I made my way to the bedroom and collapsed onto

eone. I need

ed Dustin's number, my heart

il. It rang once, then the call en

in would never do that. We had been each

result. The call was

pine. I switched to my messaging app, my thumb h

's when

our old messages, was a blue bubble. A message I had ne

don't talk for a while. Harri

an cold. I read the words again a

would never, ever sa

topped calling. Why he was hanging up on me now. He thought I had chosen my

his? The answer was i

d the access and t

t not love me. He was actively, maliciously working to isolate me from the on

brother and me, which I had attributed to his demanding job at the DEA. The unanswere

. Harrison hadn't just built me a cage; he had systemati

tic message. *Dustin, that wasn't me!

exclamation point appea

end. You have been b

oc

ther had b

y last refuge, my only support. He had made me an

cold frame. The fear was different this time. It wasn't t

has just realized her jailer has n

g else began to stir in the ashes

had broken me.

ow everything.