t long, orange shadows acr
off the radio. She was carefully applying a coat of bright,
r opened with
gray, and the dark bags under his eyes made him look like he h
e tiny brush freezing
ve trousers, and the way he leaned heavily against the wall.
in the air. "Did you go drinking behind the bleachers
ided her eyes, staring fixedly at
," Kristopher stammered, his voice trembling slightly. "Ipathetic, logical lie. She didn't ask if he n
ust don't expect me to make dinner. Alissa hasn't done a single chor
name, Kristopher's entire
lterated terror widened his eyes. He gripped t
er," Kristopher blurted
looked at her husband like h
ped. "Since when do y
, trying to backtrack. "I just... I have a headache. I
er turned and practically dragged himsel
standing perfectly still in th
d. The tape was working
ck into her bedroom, locking the woo
weater, leaving her in just a
acked full-length mirror
arms were thin, lacking any real muscle definition. The dark purple
. Her muscles ached with a deep, throbbing soreness. She
If she faced someone who knew how to fight, she
the mirror and stood in
rished body would suffer from rhabdomyolysis or a hea
ith isometr
d lowered herself into a qua
rely on her quadriceps, forcing the muscle fiber
. Her legs began t
Sweat beaded on her forehead, sliding down her pa
eathing in a harsh, rhyth
standing up. Her legs felt like jelly, but he
and pushed. She didn't move the wall, but she forced her chest
ilent work, Alissa collapsed onto th
a and pulled out the cr
unt of cash. Muscle required p
elow, in the overgrown backyard, was
edge of the property months ago-her only sanctuary away from Ainsley's demands. The stunted stalks were
y and grabbed a towel to wi
the household's resources. And she k
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