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Da towardin the road And if I have ever been uncertain about Daer am I see it in his eyes In the line of his jaw In the tenseness that fills every ht then, in that rabs my arm, and I’hly to hi h the croard the car

He tosses the groceries onto the floorboard, then gets er seat As he strapsbreak inside hih for ret

"Please," I whisper "Let’s get out of here"

He’s in the car and accelerating toward Ventura Boulevard before ht hand is on the stick, but once we’re on the freeway, he reaches for ht--"

"No" The word coht noant to pretend that it didn’t happen"

The look he gives ly sad For a moment, we are silent But the stillness is broken by Da wheel

"Who did this?" he asks "Who the fuck leaked this?"

I shake my head It still feels like cotton I realize fro well

I slide ht hand down so that it is between ht into a fist, lettingdeep as I squeeze and squeeze

I biteblood

And I wish--oh, hoish--that I still had that tiny knife I used to keep on my keychain

"Look at et some control back

I take a deep breath, relieved that I’ to stop It’s out there, and they’re going to keep co to stop

"Carl," I whisper "This is what he arning me about"

"Maybe, but I don’t think so"

"Who then?"

"Does Ollie know about the painting?"

"No!" The word comes fast and hard, but then I immediately falter Could he have found out soain "And even if he did, he’d keep quiet I’m not the one he wants to hurt"

"Don’t be so sure," Da Even if he’s right about Ollie being in love with et back atwith Damien Would he?

I close my eyes because I can’t stand to think about it "Who doesn’t ain "It’s out there"

Damien doesn’t answer, and we drive toward don in silence, Daer so thick it fills the car