a P

e," I said, st

rs we have been tog

er of my mouth. Ethan stood there naked, chest rising and falling too fast, Derek already pulling his pants back on like nothi

ore either of the

the thin chains and the necklace he had given me months ago. The soft clink of metal against wood was the only sound I left behind as I walked out of the apartment

ll held the image of Ethan on that bed. Every few steps I touched my cheek, half-expecting the skin to be split open. It wasn't, but the heat under my palm

n't g

nt I shared with Victoria, but the thought stopped me cold every time it surfaced. I couldn't walk in looking like this-bruised, shaking, eyes red. What would my mother say? She would ask questions I wasn't ready to answer. She would worry.

it up on t

, thumb hovering. I tried not to answer. My hand moved an

itement. "Your stepdad is coming home, and you're starting work at the company. I

old her I couldn't wait. She talked about the clothes she thought I should wear, about how impressive the building was, about how lucky we both were. I made the appropri

feel nothing. How the future you thought you were building could disappear in a single slap. How you could stand there holding the pieces of a life that no longer made sense and still have to smile on the phone for your mother.

ressed to his ear, speaking in a low, controlled voice. I couldn't hear the words, only the steady cadence of someone used to giving orders. The secretary set two keys on the counter-one mark

needed a cheap place to sleep for the night. Instead I stepped into a wide, quiet VIP suite-soft lighting, heavy curtains drawn against the city, a bed large enough for three people, everything polished and exp

't get up to check. My body felt heavy, my face still ached, and the bourbon had started to pull everything under. I lay back against the pillows, eyes already closing, and let the exhaustion take me. The ceiling

a white towel tie

what are you do