ana

n an otherwise black-out room. For the first time in what felt like a

mehow more damning than shouting would have been. Bryant never came back to the bedroom. He wa

was his duty to protect his key collaborator. That her emotional state was paramount to the

es. I was tired of fighting

him anymore. It wasn't

mother. It was

t had to get through th

black sky began to lighten into its usual sickly gray. I w

al domesticity. Bryant was at the stove, making eggs. And

m

f code printed on it-the first elegant loop I had ever written, something I was proud o

le. "Oh, good morning, Adriana! I hope you don

was almost impressive. The

ed, her voice filled with a practiced vulnerab

yes. He just scraped the eggs onto a plate. "There

ug. "It's so unique! Bryant

r of something-annoyance? guilt?-in his eyes. He turned back to Kat

one. That mug was a relic from a time when he saw me, when he ce

," I announced

You can't. It's not safe. The fin

I said, walking toward the h

following me. "We'll be leaving t

int," I said, pul

ryant's right, Adriana. It's dangerous. We wouldn't want anything

id, my hand on the doorknob. "We'l

grabbing my arm. "She can't come with u

ia's hand. She yelped as the ceramic mug, my mug, sli

ds of my past spread acros

aw a flash of genuine regret in his eyes as he looked at t

ne, replaced b

done," he snapped, a

y last connection to him breaking w

I snarled, my voic

r and stepped out into the hallway, leaving them st