The Truth She Couldn't Tell

g group into silence. The laughter died in thei

mug expression vanishing, replaced by

step back, his face pale. "Is... is that real

swimming in and out of focus. She looked directly at Marcus, who hadn' t moved. His expression was still guard

ds to him, a bitter, final explanation he would never understand.

va. You were always good at that. Twisting words, making people believe your lies." The anger was back, a shield again

ispered, the fight draini

ard, not toward her, but toward his friends. "That' s enough," he said

back into the night, leaving Ava standing alone on the pavement, the metallic taste of blood in her mouth. She watched

an in, the streetlights were too bright. By the time she reached her apartment

ared at Marcus' s smiling face, but it was starting to look unfamiliar. The edges were blurring. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to hold on

nce. She let it ring, but it was persistent. Fin

recognizable. Grandfather Thorne. "I heard you' ve been ma

u' re talking about,"

. It seems you need another reminder." There was a pause. "I' m prepared to offer you a substantial sum. Enough

ult. He thought he could buy her

our money," she

the window. A hard, cold rain had begun to fall, smearing the c

ainy night just like this, "I' ll buy you a house on a cli

ughed. "W

her close. "We' ll find one. The Bro

. The memory surfac

ng. The rain drummed against the windowpane, a lonely, steady rhythm. S

r door. Her head was foggy, her limbs heavy. For a moment, she couldn'

door and looked th

forehead, his expensive suit soaked through. But it was the look on his face tha