A'S

h blood. We need so

d blood

uise's Diner. I'm dozing at work again. I must be so tired, I dreamt of

ife in Chicago to Greece. Rather, I'm working so hard...Micah is yet to get a job. And although my job at Louie's dinner

," Talia says, leaning against the breakroom doorway with a soda can pressed t

s gotta pick up t

me for a beat before adding,"Seriously. Three doubles

ove my apron into the laundry

se? It don't always gotta be you. I'm the one who owns th

do. Talia's like that - soft voice, sharp mind, th

s, quieter, "You going home to

green eyes form in my mind, but I don't know why I don't say yes to her questi

tug it from my pocket with frozen fingers and a half-smile

ing me. I'm exhausted.

read the message once, then a

ught food...

y chest, but just tuck the phone away and zip my hoodie higher, trying to con

to be

are numb and my toes ache. The stairwell reeks of weed and stale piss as always. I pass Mrs. D

been with me through everything, through the kind of moments that either break people apart or fuse them together in ways

bought the extra tzatziki because he loves it. Chicken souvlaki, too. I had to skip lu

step inside the small

all out, sof

othing out of place, but then the smell hits me, it smells like takeout and s

lls li

n places the smell,

doesn't feel right. He never leaves the door open. Especially since I told him I wo

hear it before I see it. The

e, my eyes locking on the closed bedroom door at the end of the

ve like I'm in a dream, slow and heavy,

first, she's naked, her pale thighs are wrapped around Micah's hips like they've done it a thousa

ca

Mic

ke a monster. That

and never stopped. Look at his soft brown hair, a few strands falling over his forehead. Green eyes, too clear, too bright

he

n front

I don't cry. I j

for me. Harder. Rougher. Even with me watching, he doesn't stop, he keeps movin

he says. No panic. No apology

e for being here. Like I'm some stranger off t

ly can't

chest hollows out like someone dug into m

h a soft thud, the kind of sound no one notices.

n and

nt. Down the stair

I'm going. I just

o his phone, a woman dragging a toddler behind her. L

body and left the real Anya standing there in that

k across the islands. We said we'd make it. We sai

idn't have one. We left foster care together and p

rent that wasn't mean to me, the closest thing to a family to me besides Mi

d

have n

I realize where my legs are taking me-I'm walking towards the hospital. Usually, when I don't kno

me. Suddenly, I realize I'm not alone. As though my heart can sense

m behind me, dark and