Chapter 0304

Along time later I hear footsteps behind me coming out of the bathroom.

“Fay?” Daniel asks. “Are you...all right?”

Silent, I shake my head no.

“What can we do?” Jerome asks.

“Nothing,” I murmur. And then I pause, considering it — considering if there’s anything I want. But I just come up blank. “Can you

just leave me alone?”

The boys are silent for a moment and I sigh, wishing they’d just go.

“Are you sure?” Daniel asks, hesitant. I can hear in his words that he desperately doesn’t want to leave me along right now, that

he wants to be here for me. But...I just can’t. Not right now.

“Please,” I say, hunching my shoulders and wrapping my blankets tighter around me.

“Okay,” Daniel whispers, and a moment later I feel his lips press against my hair as he gives me a gentle kiss. “We'll be right next

door, okay? You call us when you want us?”

“Okay,” I reply, nodding and squeezing my eyes shut.

And then I hear their footsteps as they leave the room, the slight creaking of the door as they pull it closed behind us, though

they don’t close it all the way so that they can hear me if I call.

I lay very still for a very long time. I lose track of it, eventually, working hard on clearing my mind and pushing all my thoughts

away. Instead, I listen to my breathing, feel my heart beating, and seek — deep within me — some kind of...difference. Can I feel

the baby growing in there? Is it...is it even a baby?

Do I want it to be?

Some time later I sit up in bed, groaning a little as my muscles unlock and bend after far too long in one position. I raise my

hands to my temples, rubbing them in an attempt to clear the headache that pounds there.

Then, a little bleary, I turn towards my desk, noticing that the day has grown dark outside my window, already turning towards

night. As I stand I wonder at it — how much time did I lay there, denying my reality? But then I sigh and move towards my desk,

pulling open the little drawer and reaching for my burner phone.

Because even though I know Daniel and Jerome are next door, and even though I’m grateful for it, I really just want my sister

right now.

I pull up her contact information and quickly press her number, hoping she picks up. The phone rings, and rings. She doesn’t

answer.

Sighing, I press the call button again, but she doesn’t pick up. I call again — which I never do — hoping that she understands that

it's an emergency. But nothing.

Frustrated, breathing out heavily through my nose, I open my messages and quickly send her a text letting her know that I need

to talk, that she has to call me as soon as she gets this.

To my shock, a text comes through immediately.

My blood goes cold when I read it:

Fay, I can't talk — I'll see you soon =

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...what?

She'll see me soon? Why does she think —

Do what who says? Who is she —

But then I jump, my eyes flashing

towards the door as I h ar the (oud

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heuse. And then it comes again, and

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And I recognize it, immediately, from

the noises I heard months ago at the

country club, whesy\wektbruhning

thrpaghtné-yreens with Kent and

Daniel, trying to get away from

people trying to kill us. Please read

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.

Those are gunshots.

And they’re inside the house.