via

the porch split the darkness of the front hallway. I did not bounce or hesitate.

canvas suitcase. I yanked it out, snatched my smartphone and my car keys from the ni

hick carpet swallowed the sounds of my foo

the front door fully swung open. The heavy wood hit the s

My hand slid along the narrow wooden rail. My bruised thigh throbbed with a sharp, burning pain, but I pressed my lips together and kept going. At the bottom of

p, rhythmic clicks of his leather shoes moving across the hardwood floor toward the

d, and unlocked the back door. The metal lock gave a tiny, quiet click. I grabbed the

e wind blew hard, spraying water across my face and under the collar of my oversized cardigan. I did

. The ground was muddy and slippery, and my flat shoes splashed through deep puddles of water. My hands shook so badly I almost droppe

get in," I mut

eavy front car door open, threw myself onto the worn fabric seat,

m vibrating through the steering wheel. Through the wet windshield, I looked back at the large house. The kitchen light s

of the driveway, my tires spinning and throw

left and then right, just trying to put

ut they could barely clear the heavy sheets of pouring rain. I held the steering wheel so tight my fingers went numb. Big, hot tears finall

, old words started replaying in my mind.

childhood best friend, Luca Romano. He had looked at me with

whisper. "He tells you what to wear. He tells you who you can talk to. This

ed back then, pulling the sleeves of my sweater down to hid

s brow furrowing. "That is control. He is trying to ma

e Damian wanted. I had ignored my mother's quiet questions when she noticed I stopped applying for execu

interior of the car, my voice cracking.

lashed past in the dar

I knew the only two people who had never turned away from me: Luca and his fian

treets of Maple Grove, where the small houses had warm yellow lights glowing behind their curtains. Finally, I pulled up

hoved it into my cardigan pocket, and stepped back out into the freezing rain. I walked up the wooden porch steps, m

ened almost

f glasses in his hand. His bright eyes went wide as he looked at me. He saw my dr

e dropped his glasses on

ered, my voice trembling. "I d

hat had happened. He stepped forward, reached his arms around my shoulders, and pulled

of the house, his voice tight and loud. "A

l and deliberate, his face usually calm and unhurried. But the moment his eyes lan

He turned around and disappeared

lothes were getting his clean shirt completely wet. I pressed my face into his shoulder and let out a b

to his shoulder. "I did not call first. I know you

ueezed my shoulders gently. "Do not you dare apologize to me. You are saf

s. He handed one to Luca and quietly wrapped the other around my wet sho

id, his voice low and steady. "L

ood. Adrian quietly moved a wooden chair away from the table, helping me sit down. Then, he turned to the stove and turned on the gas burner benea

arm ones. He looked up at my face, his eyes fixed on the dark purple bruise o

Luca whispered, his eyes shining with a fi

toward the clean, white kitchen coun

against the stone surface, making a loud, rattling noise that echoed through th

counter. Adrian stopped filling the t

glass, in clear white letters, was Damian's name. Beneath his name, the small red