te'

eyes almost pop fr

r's debt disappears. Your stepmother gets the t

No one walks away happy from deals with men l

ng her bottom lip between her teeth and I find myself watching the

k even younger than twenty-two. Dark hair falling over her shoulders like she's trying to hide behi

doe that wandered

es

ot defiance. More like a prayer that won't be a

nly I can appreciate. This girl thinks knowing someone matters.

? This does not make sense. You

e playing. "Your father made a deal. This is the deal. You sign, or I visit your f

e, unable to hold my gaze for more than a second. Her hands twist together in her l

ust me. Weakne

thing tighten

te. The kind that have never held anything more dangerous than

you will leav

ve the best medical care money can buy. Your famil

epeats it slowly, testing the word

g as I

is not

see my face when I say this. "Do I

, making herself smaller. "No

apolog

flushes. Pink spreads across those soft cheeks,

u

than whatever piece of shit car her father probably drives. She reads through the contr

if I refuse?

r too. Maybe your sister if she tries to be heroic

uld kil

course. Your father stole fro

ay. He is sick. H

. You are about to so

small, very buried part-wonders if she'll actually do it. If she'l

she

childlike. She sets the pen down and her hand is

on

eet mine for more than a second. They're swimming with tear

a ceremony. Small and pri

ic makes her voice thin. She's started worrying that bottom li

do

ill be

lothes. M

ou need will

wobble and I watch her grab the edge of the desk to steady herself.

u are doing this. What do y

at me and I realize just how much smaller she is. The top of her he

tters visibly at her throat. How her lips part slightly as she bre

I say quietly, stepping closer. T

barely a whisper, not defiance,

eet mine. Her skin is impossibly soft. Warm. She's trembling under my fingers b

ously and I track the m

want to

force myself to ste

e room i

Make sure she has ev

back once, just before she disappears through the door. Those eyes meet

three fingers of whiskey. I down i

e I have work to do. Calls to make. Plans to finalize, but the t

ng in from the windows. I spot her immediately-a small

. Quiet, broken sounds like she's trying not to di

of my concern. She signed t

ing her shoulders shake, listening to h

. I give her another hour but when I retu

k t

u cry al

darkness. Her hair is a mess around her face, cheeks blotchy and wet.

not mean to disturb you. I will

apolog

can see her bottom lip trembling.

man would feel guilty for putt

nt man. And what I

smaller, arms wrapping around her kne

t u

he bed felt wrong, an

t.

on that hard floor for so long they've gone numb. She st

down and

g. Like a fucking

Not calm, frozen. Even her breath stops. Those big

at me. Her hair falls around her face in dark waves and I

ath it, som

ay, my voice rough. "The cry

sorry. I sho

you on t

The bed felt... it is too nice. Like it belongs to

ing you a

then her face crumples. "I

est tightens again

room belongs to you." I sit down beside her and

's barely

hind her ear. She jerks but doesn't pull

ken things, Isabel

stops herself before t

his is already mo

don't

. Her eyes go wide as I stretch out on

are

ither can I. So we wi

ot unde

ad to look at her. She's frozen, sitting up against the headboard

re sho

t to

ut

oice drops lower

lie on her side, as far from me as she can get while still be

of her even through

this?" she whispe

you will cry all night on the

m so

to

quick and nervous. The sound of traffic o

of me," I say.

least sh

in the darkness. That small nose. Soft jaw. The curve of her

nt this. I shou

I