ose in my mind. Ma

. Chloe had been crying about a scraped knee, and I had been trying to explain that she' d pushed me first, but Mark had

ce of her pain. He saw my lack

the one who doesn't cry migh

gain, my voice low and shaking wi

e saw my defiance as a personal attack, a rejection of his magnanimou

forward. "I' m going to

is time it wasn' t for my

Black spots danced in my vision. The baby in my arms stirred, letting out a

my windpipe was

oking on thick, black smoke. The fire had started in the dryer, a faulty wire they never bothered to fix.

psed. I remembered thinking of Mark, clinging to his promise. Wait for me. I had waited. I had waited throu

my throat. I thrashed wildly, trying

d the worn-out fabric of

e angry red of his face drained a

ip sla

was staring at my shoulder and the top o

melted, puckered skin. A massive, deep burn that covered my entire shoulder blade and

g backward as if he' d been struc

vid, I could almost

ring breath, my voice raw. "A fire at the house, f

e eye, letting him see

You said a few months, maybe a year. Did four years

eamed down my fac

You talk about safety. Where

shirt aside, exposing the ful

'looked after' ? Does this look lik

im, my voice dropping

ew me to the wolves and convinced yo