inside her refused to let her surrender. For

former colleagues. One number was disconnected. Another rang endlessly. A third was answered by a suspicious spouse who h

ed with quiet pity as she limped back to the car. H

off her wet clothes. Her teeth chattered violently. She touched her forehead; it was burning ho

ll into a restless, feverish sleep, haunted

sense of time-the apartment door clicked open and Jo

ent a jolt of ice

ed your departure, he said, his

ashed over her, and she fell back against the pil

ontempt. Still playing games

ag onto the foot of the bed. It landed with a

weak and clumsy, she began to put her few belongings back into the bag.

and ugly in the silent apartment. She knew, with a sick certainty, that she co

standing by the door, impatiently tapping his foot against the hardwood flo

my sympathy, you're wasti

ice cracking. The fever was making it hard to thin

l bag himself. He saw her flushed cheeks, the tremor in her hands, the she

tured sharply for her to l

recoiled slightly, a small, involuntary movement as i

e hurt more than

xile. Her head pounded, her body ached, and the morning sickness churned in h