Chapter 5

Breaking Point

Morning light cuts across the bed in a thin, bright line that makes my eyes ache.

I lie still for several minutes after waking, listening to the ordinary sounds of the house Maya’s footsteps downstairs, the low murmur of a news broadcast, the distant clink of dishes. The hallway confrontation from last night sits behind my ribs like something bruised. Every time I close my eyes I see the way Adrian looked at my mouth for those three long seconds before he walked away.

I force myself out of bed.

The kitchen is already occupied when I come down. Maya stands at the stove in an...