ere's something

blinking twice to make su

as r

was rig

y Rh

heek in that photo, the same one who said

box, like a ghost that had

reply r

e my phone screen, but

he possibly

me that I hadn't a

Another twist to the cruel ga

, I wanted t

ck

the m

I never

part that still wanted to make sense of

you want

t almost i

me her

we meet. Please.

e

No

ready to sit across from the gir

ain... had

just giv

t know

eeded closure, even if

e?" I

row. 4 p.m. Just y

her o

use I wa

if I agreed, I'd hear something w

slept t

urs dr

ng minute, I rehear

I sc

I stay

d I

was pounding before I

plain blue top and black jeans.

ook like the stor

if it

fé Luna fifteen

nd honey, just like it always had

d that

hed i

d in five m

in that quiet

ir, tucked be

white blouse.

he entrance like she wasn'

dn't

looked

ched my ta

" she

odd

, clutching her phone

ect you to co

" I replied, keepi

ched, th

about you at fi

omeone... but he told me it was

w cle

urse

rewriting stories to fit wh

allowe

ne, Ava. And I'm not trying to defend what I did. I just.

t say a

cont

we reconnected during the semester break. He told me you two w

t her, my

e I was the o

e was a

e didn'

looked

it was over with you. I thought he was choosing me. But

up at me, her

t delete. The things you said. How you

, her voic

ensive. Then angry. And that's when I r

led sh

n't just

full-on p

ce dropped

e things up. That you were obsessive. But t

ched m

ed me as the villa

aned f

r wanted to see him again. And I thought you deserved to

the air betwee

d itself into the spac

rry," s

t's worth,

ked a

looked

e I walked in, I didn't see

omeone

ot caught in

t lie to m

di

tears now fa

e in my throat, b

o many times o

st

know who h

oked u

still lo

, my hea

know," I

w I don't

ed to

Luna, I felt a strange m

received

doesn't alwa

ust confirms y

that was

ould never se

sn't done w

call from a number

swered, I hea

omething's happened. I... I

ke it had been dragged

I thought I

ad told myself I would never

maybe it was habit, maybe it was h

am?" I asked, trying

ous," he said quickly. "It's not a

art s

abou

"Ava, please. She was on her way home from work

ng to piece his

ccid

il

pt sp

s. I don't know her condition ye

otions storme

a

oc

fus

ngely, n

y heartbreak, Emily had been honest. She had reached

ed. "Why not her parents? Her friends? So

then said, "Because you're t

me harder th

that

left who didn't treat

at you want from

his. I'm not y

not," he

ood. And I don't know how to

d have

deal with the consequenc

hought

oft v

te

ry for co

hospital," I said,

r you.

n't th

Okay," then the

elled like antis

fluorescent lights a

ed through the doo

i

veled

a like a man holding h

his eyes flooded with something th

walk to

ood

like walking back into a f

ved f

s slowly, like he wasn't s

ietly. "They said it's her leg

, saying

ay that would make thi

, glancing away. "I just... I panicked. An

person anymore

human. That's

e a fa

r a while, the kind

rt you," he

gain. And I don't deserve e

ht," I repl

here

e then, really

hey're finally starting

you. And I convinced myself it wasn't wron

said. "You don't get to fill

u always did know how to

n't s

t a moment

old waiting room

hecking t

hecking

ally, a nurs

rter?" s

umpe

es. Tha

well. She's sleeping now,

ded qu

ooked

u come?"

art s

h

he want

I even c

ould answer, m

ess

er I didn't

ened

brother. She asked me to find you. She wrote something before the