e's

mething ab

watches people, eyes sharp and unblinking like

his brows when he's thinking-just l

e

driving m

ned to have a kid who looks like he could pass for my clone a

e night. They don't stare at you with your own

Keeps pushing us together like it's play

draiser sponsored by Blackwood Industries. A bunch of high-en

ce and fire in a navy silk dress-and Adrian trailin

er fingers and wandered toward the dessert table. He

ved l

't thi

I asked, standing bes

for his face. "Chocolate's a weakn

self. "She would say

know

I did. A lo

head. "Were

ing lik

rrowed, as if trying to

ke me," he s

ked. "

used. "Mom says I look like some

ke a punch

e him. "Well, I

t like that, somet

about his favorite superhero, and me pretending not to get lost in every word

e hissed, st

va cake!" She shot me a glare so sharp it could've

ay. She spun on me like a storm

u think you

I said calmly.

m him," she snappe

"What are you so

nothing. Just turned and walked away, her h

own, I'd already suspected. But th

rmed eve

o know

ext afternoon, one of my people brought me Adrian

my fate. Like it held my past and my f

wa

to meetings, answered calls, and even smiled at Mollie du

ld boy's face and the ghosts in his mother's eye

hould'

rejected h

chosen pri

e on a Wedne

ow my window like a glittering lie. My phone buz

oice clinical, detached-oblivious to the st

ge of my desk, m

nd

pa

the receiver like the universe

atch confirmed. 9

le

dn't b

blood rushing from my head. I stared straight ahead, bu

Paternal. H

my

n is

ight rupture from my chest. Heat surged through

name-something so primal, so overwhelm

e in the eye

polished smile and a silk dress. She let

unis

t as I stood, shoving the chair bac

arble wall, glass and scotch spraying in all direction

s sh

reak. With something w

d a

. His birthdays. Every scraped knee and every nightmare.

she

the who