QUINN

I froze, going dead still. Every cell in my body stopped. My brain grounded to a pause while I waited for him to let out that drunken laugh, to say it was a joke, to tell me she was hiding somewhere—probably behind the couch.

He didn't. He just slumped back down, gulping more of his alcohol..

“What do you mean she left?!” I screamed, my voice coming out raw and broken.

“That little mouse ran off. She was so scared... I didn't even touch that hard.”

My knees buckled. I blindly grabbed onto the nearest chair to steady myself, nausea flooding my chest.

She left.

I knew she couldn't...