Brook

I can hardly believe what I’m hearing. For a moment, I just stand there, staring at Maerilee, waiting for the punchline. But the way she’s looking at me, with those wide, earnest eyes, makes my stomach twist. This has to be a joke. It has to be. But why would she do that? Why would she play with me like this?

“You’re making fun of me,” I say, my voice hard and flat, even as my heart clenches painfully in my chest. “You’re just like the others, aren’t you? I should have known better.”

The words taste bitter on my tongue, but I can’t stop them. I can’t bear...