ooned in the comfort

rs, lingering like a cruel aftertaste from ev

nt of his stepmother, Gratia. Sleeping in separate rooms would only raise suspi

was nothin

oft, his was dark, bold, u

d around me the moment I stepped in into

sing extra pillows at the center as a divider

sleeping on the floor. The bed's big enou

o we're just going to pretend

ust gave me that icy,

," he muttered. "Don'

tell me your stepmother was coming today. Or that I was supposed to preten

d, clearly

, Alexander? How did you even f

d suddenly, closing t

oulders, his grip firmer than be

Isla. I don't ha

cried. "You ow

something flickered in his eyes

snapped. "I only found out

wed. "What does

s, I used your mother's condition. Yes, I tied you into

nvenient? A mirror image of someone

y, stepping back like

of the pillows. "Sleep here if you want.

d toward

mbling. "You'll just keep running? Keep me

pa

ur stepmother, Alexander," I said, quieter

owly, eyes ha

a," he said coldly. "Because y

omach

he continued, voice lik

ord, he walked out slamm

but to sleep in Alexa

atia couldn't suspect we weren't

clinging to the sheets. As I sat on the edge of the bed,

half of it

eath a stack of old letters, I fou

eath h

s-Beatrice. M

nder in a snow-covered landscape, bundled in winter coats. Her cheeks were pink, her e

Alexa

as sm

I'd never seen before.

ooked p

ack into the drawer. Then I slipped under the

I heard the do

steady. The sound of the shower followed. I

r, the bed dip

said softly. "I know y

eeks f

mumbled, turning

y claimed me. un

ht streamed thr

g fresh sheets and a dress. I rubbed my eyes, only to notice Alexander's sid

. He'd van

pening the curtains to

r at the dresser, "can I ask you

en nodded slowl

m brown eyes, the gray streaks

e about

froze on t

her face. She looked as

said softly. "I alre

"Ma'am... we all thought..

Wh

emory," she whispered. "He said we should

art dr

s Beatrice?" I rep

ays so... different with Madam Gratia.

a bitter taste for

trice. But to

. And Alexander had p

just to feel normal for a while. We laughed over flour-covered han

ake cookies wi

liced through the

in the doorway dressed in a black checkered d

she sneered. "That's all you ar

tiff

replied calmly. "I have no issue with you, but whether you

into something feral. A

how dare you spea

cked hard aga

d backward

d, but another slap follo

ing my arms to

" she shouted, grabbing a fistful

g?!" Drew burst into the

she belongs here!" Gratia shrieked,

ss the floor, my knees scraping

ing her!" Drew shouted,

her fingers and headed for the kitchen like she

hell is goi

boomed through th

thing

onto my red face, trembling

g me carefully, his fingertip

you?" he asked, voice

Drew st

ped. "I'm talking to my wife

red out of the kitchen, swirling a glass

ps curling into a cruel smile. "Yo

aced voice sliced

p closer, her eyes lockin

lumsy, darling," s

inister gaze

d somethin

here to d