my door came exact

coming in,

ed, his face was filled with the same pity

asked, his voice was b

said, forcin

you did out there. Y

erruption came qui

have turned out this way. I'm sorry, Kaira. I'm so

.. I let them continuously hurt

ce made my throat tighten. I l

the grocery store," he continued,

fair, I.. let m

ll be fine, brother." The

with his teeth, a nervous habit I'd noticed whenever I called him bro

eepened, and I wondered w

breath, his head

y cowardice ends toda

nd stood to leave, but

be right bac

off as soon as I

aid simply, and disa

later with a tube

d, accepting the tube

s on my arms, but when I tried to reach t

e." He

y shirt, exposing the red welts left by the mop

efore I could stop it as the gel

urmured, his touch b

e more

the medicine carefully. When he finished with

inished ye

e more?"

parts are swoll

heek, finding the tender

movements slowed. His eyes grew distant, and hi

I called

d the curve of my cheekbone

on

anged, and there was something in h

I said mo

tartled back

pulled his hand away abruptly

He finally s

eave, genuin

you," I

in, holding me in place

ng outside. I'll only complicate t

ed, struggling with words that

He stu

you don't remember anyth

ld answer, h

hing you don't rem

he hospital before Dad's return. Let's ab

rayal h

en

, carrying all the hurt and disappointment of

my hand," I

nd I walked away from him, feeli

ity blurred past. The conversation with his father replayed in his

h artist downtown," h

as her pencil moved across the paper. Eye shape, nose, the cur

hink." Damien studied

"Find her. Everywhere and anywhere. She

ary bowed

articular place

n pau

ridian, The Glass House, plac

th the portrait, Damien

get what you want. The marriage.. bu

ped outside to go to the grocery store. E

her specialty again

ng gossip, turning small truths into dr

ly stuck her foot out as I passed. I stumbled, my

" she

" She added, faking an

m high school approached me. Both we

is," the tall

d's newest prost

know who the father is," h

throat. Together with anger that burned

d up, brushing di

when you're not the

's eyes widened

u're special because you have a bastard inside you? Yo

tard," her friend chime

lous." How

slap, but instead of

ls to leave. Now.

hey retorted

e the fury coursing through me, "because they want it to be true o

by gossip don't care ab

em, deliberately bumping the second girl's

hs open, shocked by this version

aid to myself, inwardly as I wal

is. No matter what happens, I won't let my child see me broken.

et now. Lost in thought, about how my future ha

air. I looked up to see a black sedan bearing down on me

ldn't think, couldn't do anything

slammed into me

tumbled away from the car, rolling acro

led past, missi

ing me to the ground. When I finally looked u

rom a cut on his forehead where he'd hit the

er Ja