l

length mirror in the corner of my master bedroom. I turned

f life-not the gray, sunken, hollow mes

ranted. I was never the type of woman who stared at herself in the

l clutched in my hand, my thumb swipi

8 p

bedroom, sobbing fake tears to announce that her son had "died" in a tragic car acciden

y myself, to think, to prepare for the perform

gent priority: I needed to verify whether the

sedan should have been parked, only to stare at the empty pavement. I had forgotten. I had alr

g my car and the loan he'd taken out under my name-my stolen identity, my signature fo

over my car, letting Adrian's name sit on the deed, never

self. I will tear their drea

umber I hadn't called in years-the best frie

Who is this?" a guard

throat, letting out a soft

the line before she s

t life. Even after I pushed her away, she was the one who helped me find work to pay off the debt faste

ed. "Please... f

manded, the sharpness in her voic

y house," I said. "Are

ve. I'm o

inutes, a sleek red hatchback pulled up to the

led out, unlocking

r and slid into

r eyebrows furrowed. "Alright

eaning over to look at h

"Do you honestly expect me to buy

or listening to that bas

RE

pavement, nearly sending us both through the windshield. She threw her car

e is normal, but I think yo

d fool is dead. The Elena sitting next to you right now is wide awake. I am so, so sorry for everything,

g an alien language. I pouted, exaggerating a cute, pl

loud sigh, pulled me into a fierce, bone-cru

hen you act like a pitiful puppy," she

rd, letting the warmth of a

oxy suggested, pulling back a

to the central hospita

ng wheel. "What?! Are you sick? What hurts?" S

" I assured her. "I just

't ready to give, Roxy nodded, put the car in

ospital. Roxy stood right beside me, her eyes wide with shock as

avy metals and common poisons-and a full hormone panel. Tell whoever re

xin screen today-that part's fast. The hormone panel usually goes out to an outside lab, so that one wil

said. "Just make

ials of my blood and asked us

al silence. Roxy read the heavy aura surroundi

ze my hand. "I won't force you to tell me what happened... bu

vision as I loo

pact. Just as I pulled back, the harsh, buzzing ri

shing screen. I didn't even need to c

0 p

w was calling.