mind was a whirlwind of the ugly words I had overheard. He though

a tray with a cup of tea and a small white pill. He moved silently, lik

ou awake?"

und. I opened my eyes slowly, making them l

the nightstand. "And a sleeping pill. You didn't sleep at all las

re, it made my skin crawl. I pushed myself

test him, to see the cracks in his performance f

" he said

wn at my hands. "The urns. Before the funeral

It was there and gone in an instant, so fast I might have missed it if I hadn'

ir. "I don't know if that's a good i

, letting my voice b

u think it will help. But first, you need to rest. Drink

dence of his planned desecration. I looked at the pill in his hand.

ll you stay with me until I fall asleep?" I as

id, settling onto

t my hand "slip," palming the small white tablet and dropping it into the space

ured, leaning back

at now looked monstrous to me. "Good gir

ly still, listening to the sound of his presence in the room. He stayed for w

heek, a gesture that was meant to be tender but felt like a violation. Then, I heard

The air in the room felt thick, suffocating. He thought I was unconscious. He thought I was helple

gainst him. The fear was still there, a cold dread in the pit of my stomach, but it was now overl