a's message until

s it's

d the cloc

te drive away. Lena had lef

abbed her c

She snatched her car keys from the hall table, missed them, and sent them sk

her car, slid behind the wheel, and fumbled the key into the

me

cut around a delivery van, earning a furious blast of

ng to let Lena

to watch that k

awning. Victoria turned sharply into a space across from

small table near the front, phone in hand, one untouch

s stomach

strians. Through the glass, Lena glanced up and caught si

ushed into

"What are yo

ping

m wh

to meet

e, then angry. "You

you. I know whe

ow

ainst her teeth: Because I watched you k

it m

er coat and phone. "Y

ybe you'l

g. Victoria lowered her voice, but she co

o to tha

to talk

k to him som

he's en

me he's l

fli

tion confirmed it. She hated that part of her still wanted

u meeting him?"

ant to hear

heard

snatched her coat fr

f her. Lena tried to pass;

t g

u promise you

arm free. "You

ut he's my

ing this. Don't punish me

. She forced it open. "He'll say w

n't kno

d

"You've never looked at me like

clearly: the lamplight, Daniel's hand in Lena's hair, Le

oved pa

a chair. It scraped loudly across t

er heels clicked against the wet pavi

en

to

ng to pro

fact that your h

at her coat. Le

ised edge of the kerb. It bent awkwardly. Lena staggere

ached for h

t tou

free. The heel snappe

eat, neither

at the broken sho

did

grabb

ying to s

cked the broken heel off and flung it o

't walk in

ot exposed. She limped past Victoria, eyes bright with tears.

caught Le

her hard in the chest

e café window with her shoulder, a

d along the slick kerb. She looked over her shou

horn b

breath caug

heel slid on the wet road. She fel

rn. The vehicle swerved, its fr

nged off th

d. Its headlamps flooded the street, tur

tretched f

eached

s kept