l him now, said over the secure line a week later. "It's a field hospital run by an NGO. They need an e

ng to get away from the house that was no longer

but the damage was deeper. The virus they had injected me with had left its mark. I was prone to sudden fevers

heard them downstairs. Mark and Kevi

," Kevin said. "Is the

scenery would do her good, maybe go back to her parents' place for a while. I'm playing the pa

year. The little arguments he'd started, the ways he'd subtly isolated me from my friends, the "accidental" comments he'd made to Kevin that pain

ask of weary sadness. I walked downstairs. They both looked up, their faces

, rushing to my side. "Are

" I said, lettin

n bothering to look up from his ph

you're right. Maybe I do need a change of scenery. So

sked it with worry. "Oh, honey, if you think that's what'

my cheek. "My career is over. My reputation is ruined. Why

ty. "Probably some sicko. The internet is full

think about it, Evelyn. We'll get throu

, pretending to comfort me, was the one who had hired men to attack me. The boy on the s

ew weeks," I said, the lie tasting like a

alpable. "I'll book you a flight. First clas

, my voice barely a whisp

ed expression. He thought he ha

e fire of their betrayal, I was being forged into someth

-