Bradl

et bubble of peace and happiness. I was eighteen now, no longer a child, and our relationship had deepen

abroad for a month

emon," he promised, kissing me at t

ter he left, I started feeling sick. A persistent nausea i

air, asked me a series of questions, then ran some tests. W

said. "You'r

lectric and terrifying. Pre

, panic. A child. A piece of him, a piece of

," the doctor said softly, "it's bett

stinctively going to my flat stomach.

long. The further along you are

to tell Booker. I dialed his international number, my hands sh

, someone picked

n's voice, slee

s this?" I asked. "I'm lo

the woman said with a

ne while he was in the shower. The f

er," I lied, the wor

woman said, but she called out, "Booke

his voice, slick with irritat

my lips. The line went d

ent phone, praying it would ring, praying there was s

ever

arvey mansion. I don't know what I was looking for. An explanation?

mile spread across her face. "Jane.

ver. "I have some

ling, his arm wrapped tightly around a beautiful, sophisticated-looking w

whispered, my

is girlfriend. They've been together for years. Her family

choed, my thro

ike Booker... he might play with a girl like you for a while. It's a fun di

g. Don't waste your life pining for s

me. I knew she couldn't stand that Booker had chosen me, even temporarily, over he

to defend myself,

s glittering with malice, "l

r. Booker picked u

here with me. She seems to be under some... misapprehensions

r. I could hear the sounds

with amusement. "God, is she still hung up on that? Tell her it

for

m shattered, and I was left in the cold, hard wreckage. It was all a lie. The two years of happi

up, her smile

who begged, the girl who loved, died in that moment.

rising even myself. "I need to move on. Can I borrow so

e eye. "I'll pay you back.

and so delighted at the prospect of getting

thing to help you get back on your feet." She wrote me

e me again,"

s known my existence in her life was a tightrope walk. That's why I had tri

lked out of that garde

s. I lay down on the cold table. And I let them t

bus ticket to a city I'd only seen on a map. As the bus pulled away from th