oke with the hotel key

led through the curtains. Her pulse thundered. For a moment she

the blue walls, the rumpled duve

ooked

k

the sting of its teeth st

I'm leavi

nd ran to the bathroom. She splashed cold water over her face, then brac

's hair, the kiss, the way he'd said it was over-a

d creaked i

a spun

already dressed, holding two c

certainty of a scar. In the first version, Daniel had stood at the

as doing

"I made yours the

ake it. "You're g

his watch. "

, forcing her voice to stay level. "Y

ered the c

h wh

dw

he

a, what'

e coffee at the wall. She reached for the cup anyway,

ed her

d her jaw a

you tonigh

e counted the seconds until the front do

dow. Daniel's silver car turned at the end

she'd waved fr

he let the c

d it up and checked the date. Monday. The day

tact. Her thumb hover

ded insane even inside her own head. Please don't meet him at the hote

ped the phone

a couldn't get there, the affair wouldn't happen. It

hone

for lunch? I need your

same message at the same time. Victoria had replied with a cheerful

e her hands cu

can't. I've g

the lie. Then

o see how far the betrayal had already gone. If she accused

is on. Where do

ly came

ing food. I've got someth

had said nothing about exciting news. She'd complained about a diffic

's skin

a: Fine

e wardrobe. Lena had left a red scarf there last weekend. Victoria

abric looked

ip," she

to the sink. The cup struck the basin too hard. I

wore and j

. She had kissed Daniel goodbye and smiled at Lena. Now every ordinary

same cream coat Victoria remembered from the first version of t

said, putting the food

ared at her

her arm. Victor

between Lena's bro

m f

you're t

s flat on the counter. "W

two containers and set them on the

tell

n seeing

om tighten around he

ked down

nie

topped

answered bef

The containers jumped. Lena reco

" Victoria

cto

w l

e pushed one container as

esn't an

rying to

spoken in the hotel room: It's over. Maybe they weren't

eting him tonight

m n

lie t

. "You're acting like

as a rough, broken sound. She turned

u he's leaving

idn't

ack around. "He

er sai

dn't ha

per bag with unstead

landed with a thud. "Don't come into my house, tell me you're seei

ed hard, but a tear slipped d

ed as if Lena h

ea

ed up her coat. At the door she turned back

couldn'

door

floor. The truth was out now, but Daniel's plan remained. At midnight, s

ibrated on

from Len

s it's