TER

in My We

, I couldn't lo

the words glaring up at me like they mi

ter was wearing your weddin

sis

m every family photograph, every childhood s

supposedly died s

ree, smiling at whoever had taken the photograph. I recognized myself imme

remember

nty that made my chest ac

reached f

led i

n'

to think carefu

r years. Apparently, that's how

hand

to know why my sister was buried in my wedding dress, an

toward t

w who was at

ait

dro swa

s th

side me went

t my siste

e

to mention that I mi

't remem

n't an

d quietly.

he counter and laughe

a reason. Some terrible, complicated reason that explains why ev

directl

over something new, t

didn't defe

me more than his

about th

away from the table

ery few people there. Your father, mine, Valenti

out my

asn't

y

esit

he had di

red a

er disa

find her. Your father told everyone she had

believ

I believed whatever I wa

was almost

back to t

in the

o closed

saw he

h

fin was

him for seve

rl whose face you never saw, and y

d that sh

not the

mitted. T

ightened aro

he wearing my

yes o

n't

st time, I

that made eve

a three times bef

ked up, I didn't bot

e ar

was a

h

s apparently been hiding an entire sister, and someon

le

na whispered

e pity in

t do

w

knew this was g

her

id

ped th

ew abo

she e

ot what

ina ex

knew ab

es bu

really m

e

't anyon

was afraid of what

ro, although I could still

ppened

dn't answer

you to promise

o

to me

ses to people who won

ice so

g. Just listen. You need t

ed at t

h

n't the only person l

er the east wing ton

. They aren't trying

they tryi

g to make sur

ed to the tin

h

e's somethin

cket, turning it

photograph

ore cl

et. The metal felt unusually thick. Running my

n compa

t began

o I o

s voice be

do it

h

is what I think it is, Al

d at my

me, his expres

ly, what exactly happe

a loud crash sounded from

man's

ent

all e

d at my

was alrea

hap

n't

is jacket fr

y h

utely

ve just broken into V

coming

but whatever he saw in my

you stay

e locket ben

that night, I was gra

n old building near the river. By the time we arr

or sto

ro's hand close

behin

n't a

of traffic. A lamp lay broken on the floor, and th

handbag was

e lay be

blood on t

ped br

e one of his men called for backup. I followed

sn't

was e

aw the p

wn beside the

ked i

began t

istakably Valentina. Another was me, younger than I could

girl stood

a

the other around Valentina's shoul

ne had written a d

decided to run

d at th

nown eac

hree

or children forced to play

been

something else. There was a faint mark near Mara

memory

m floor, holding a dress against her

said, I'm going t

d la

't. It'

rned aroun

'll bo

e to as

over and ki

se,

nding to consider

ou have to

le had

rom

peared as quickl

e photograph

rowed my we

t

she been b

ll

s voice pul

trance to the kitc

eed

s Vale

dn't

she, Al

men appeare

e's no si

und the ruin

bl

pen w

andone

ad tak

the last pers

the safe house

ng streets and contact everyone who might have see

't bla

we were both frighte

s for years, and we had only just reali

rtment, Alessandro went

lowed

en I reached

eed t

top telling m

bed hi

rying to kee

to find out why

d at me

mbered s

't a qu

from my pocket and p

ed it in

ere friends w

e

we were frien

he photograph

you wer

cl

ted hi

an anyone

at

ll

led out the ch

aid of the consequences. You trusted her completely. If she told you to climb a w

ile touched

ou loved her more tha

st tig

d

nod

e insep

own at the

on't I rem

expression

ing happened a

h

back, you didn't remember the funeral, the fire, or most

red a

g my father m

d happened to you, and he chose

t the same

tand that my father had been at the

h my shirt and r

gaze followed

's t

den com

d immed

a, w

nore

tion until the metal clicked. A thin panel slid

embled as I

e only th

d, the wrong g

trust no one who r

s everything, tell he

he messa

oked at A

d my mo

d gon

up th

mething hidden in thi

o

now what

id no

st

hat my mo

gain, and for a moment, I thought

omething that made

n't the woman y

red a

oes th

indow, looking out

ed trying to protect her children. He told the police she

ed back

her, she was standing outside th

ldn't

o's voice

n't trying

o make sure Mara

n't s

ntil the sun rose, replaying Alessandro's wo

d been outsi

carrie

nted my sister

impos

I was frightened and brushed my hair before school. She had kissed my

bered h

bered h

e world was full of cruel people, b

ied about

Alessandro knoc

n't a

way, but stayed

d for us to

oked

h

here safer until

eaving wi

e locket. They know you're remembering things. If th

p me und

ll si

d walked t

ion you knew the answer to. So I'm as

s searc

know eve

me what yo

esit

ur father spent years insisting that she had tried to save her. Bu

ut

bo

lt s

continued

r insisted it was Mara. They argued for nearly an hour, and then you

ok my

my fathe

n't

ched h

ever inve

di

id you

oked

the funeral had either disappeared or refused to speak. Even th

pped

as a possibility th

e

believe I was

e

esty wa

e locket at his head. I wanted to make him

that had been sitting in my

have loved Luca, w

dro did

e I lo

h the tears gath

hat as if love ex

doe

keep using it to

a slow

rt of my life with you t

ked a

stopping just bef

had a fever, and you kept asking me not to leave. I stayed beside

ice so

reme

heard that s

onti

cause you chose me over him. I loved you because you challenged me. You never let me get away with anything. You made me la

es hel

ou had forgotten another man. I marrie

the anger insi

he could st

e wanted to step into his a

th, then forced mys

s me and make me for

wall

kn

y

e

was almost

nt me to kiss you, Bella, I w

eath

go. I could smell his cologne, warm and familiar, and I remembere

d his hands

said my name wh

marriage my mind co

efore I could talk

went comple

have kis

nted

gainst his chest and felt h

mean I've f

kn

've lied about anythi

with his, but did

give you anot

him for one

stepp

t, Ale

hand

pointment in his face wa

toward th

as waking up as if

thing had

ave tried to kill her. Luca might be the only per

e, Valentina

ne vib

w me

num

n

photo

ened

rd the camera. She wore a white wedding dress with delic

dding

photograph w

why Mara was buri

message

supposed to ma

ped br

message

ou married was never

lowered t

m, Alessandro

to understand from my express

t i

dn't a

ack at the

ress had a small s

seen on Mara in the

ion in the mirror that

neath the v

n who look

could have been

e

phone towar

at the p

seconds, he

me I had never heard h

a

ked a

d she w

es remained fix

ght sh

e step to

she look exa

his eyes

he gave me chan

you and Mara wer

t him, una

re life believing I

live, wearing my face, and claiming the man

e vibrated o

hich sister he was

up at A

n't de

the worst part of my st