CLAIRE

The next morning, I woke up to my phone ringing. I grabbed it off the nightstand, squinting at the screen through bleary eyes. It was Nina.

"Hello?" I answered, my voice rough with sleep.

"Claire, have you seen the news?" Nina asked, her voice tight.

I sat up quickly, suddenly wide awake. "What news?" I asked.

"Turn on your TV," she said. "Any news channel."

I climbed out of bed and walked to the living room, grabbing the remote. Julian was already there, standing in front of the TV with his arms crossed, his expression dark. The screen showed a news anchor sitting behind a desk, a photo of...