The sky above her turned a bruised, angry purple. Low thunder rumbled

es of the Bentley crunche

nto the park. Gary gripped the steering wheel, muttering curses u

g of the trailers. Her stomach twisted. This place reminded her of the life she had cl

fty, cramped trailer. The d

alked straight to the small bedside table, opened the top drawe

o carefully into

ess. She crossed her arms and stared at th

on her jeans. The time of the fatal crash from her past life wa

vie lost he

horn," Elv

ive blare echoed through the trailer park. Then another. And anot

pickup truck turned and pointed at the B

years scrubbing off her skin-and now they were staring at her through the window of a car that cost more than their entire

e from her purse and

She looked at the screen, saw Elvie's name, and pressed the red b

minutes. Celina declined every single one. On the eighth attempt, she picked up, let it co

ced. By a seventeen-year-old. From a trailer park. The disrespect was so profo

the sky

of of the trailer. The noise was deafening, compl

oor, nearly ripping it from his grip. A wall of water hit him in the face, soakin

Gary had summoned the storm. "You should have dra

ily long enough to know that arguing with Elvie was

e the car, her voice shrill. "She belongs in the ga

storm. She could see Elvie's silhouette through the tinted glass-rigid with fury, arms gesticulating wildly.

minutes

had come and gone. The tight knot in her shoulders

bbed a broken umbrella by the door,

the downpour as if she were taking a Sunday walk in the park. The rain plastered her hair

r and pulled open

the smell of rain into the pristine cabin. Water dripped from her clothes onto the

ressed herself again

with horror. "Do you have any idea how much this car cos

were utterly dead. No anger. No tears. No apology. Just... nothing. The voi

emotionless. "I have no idea. Tell me, Elvie-how

ir, sharp and unexpected a

e out. Because there was no answer to that question-not

Celina said, turni

n in the mud before catching traction. He sped out of

wipers slapped back and forth at maxim

ing on the car radio cut out.

e. "A massive twelve-car pileup has just occurred on Interstate 80.

lvie's face. Her skin tu

shtailed on the wet asphalt before coming

ing her bags, they would have been ex

stared at Celina-this girl who had insisted on packing, who had sat in that trailer for thirty minutes, wh

ehow, this gi

her voice trembling. "Yo

, cold smile touch her lips. It wasn't a smile of warmth or forgiveness. It was the s

y, "you should be thanking me

had just screamed at. Thank the girl she had called an ungrateful brat. Thank

lina's face. But she couldn't. Because Celina was right. And the sheer, burning humiliation of being saved b

ring wheel so hard his knuckles were white. "The hig

the crash was stronger. She had no choice. She was trapped-trapped by the storm, trapped by the closed

and put them in her ears, shutting out the sound of Elvie's