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"We all do things to survive I’ve accepted that"

And in that mos we’ve done to survive don’tof happiness It’s a hard lesson," he adds "But one you need to learn if you’ll ever--"

"I’ve learned plenty already, thank you very much" I smile then I can’t help myself "Guess I’htfully "So you have a few rough edges Who doesn’t in here?"

"Don’t get any ideas I’ain, he shakes his head "We’ll see" He exits the roo softly after him

We’ll see What’s that supposed to ht and unco over his words I can be your friend His eyes fillat some hidden part of ht to happiness With a jolt I realize I haven’t felt this way since Sean Since before everything that happened at Mount Haven

Rolling to my side, I pull the covers up to my chin as if that will so the bare wall beforeinto danger He ht not even come back People drop like flies around me these days Another reason I shouldn’t let anyone in Still My lips whisper a plea

God, please keep hi hihts A dangerous pastis me breakfast, lunch, and dinner Phelps drops in to check onabout Caden’s e already? They think I’m dead, lost forever I’m convinced of this Are they broken up about it? I know Gil has to care I haven’t known Sabine very long, but she’s a survivor She’ll move on No pieces to pick up Sean, I’s had been tense between us I shut him out But he cared about me, and he had convincedhimself Thatfrequently Junie returns late I can tell fro not to disturb me There’s no clock, but all the small sounds that alert me to life and activity in the compound have fallen silent It’s like someone flipped the off switch

I crack open an eye to observe her She’s turned on the laled as she grabs a few things and heads out again When she returns half an hour later, her hair is wet and her face scrubbed pink froirl

"Sorry," she mutters as I stir when she pulls herself up to the top bunk "Didn’t o?"

"I’s squeak above me as she settles into bed She chatters about herevery word in case she lets so useful slip "Patrols are thicker out there Must be because of you and your friends How ain?"

"Three Andup at the bed above h the mattress

There is a pause, and the ht "If your friends e"

"What?" I de up onback doith a cry of pain

Her head pops over the side, wet hair dangling "You okay?"

"Yes Fine What did you just say?"

"Caden had e over to one of our contacts It will es We should know soon which one they made it to"

My heart thuds faster in my chest He meant it when he said he’d helpthrough et me across I see his face then, the eyes, that soing to volunteer anythingdrifts down to er alone in the roo it sloincing at the soreness I finally feel the tug of sleep Her presence actually makes me feel better, and that’s when I realize just how uneasy I’ve been all day I’ for friends I know better than that

This is probably the reason Caden assigned me to her room It’s not simply that she has an extra bed He knew she would put me at ease I don’t knohy I’ ht want to know better That’s a dangerous thought

The followingan old Celine Dion song Apparently she was raised in foster care, and one of the worineven if her voice is reht have had terrible taste inabout her "warden," as she calls her, "but she would pop us popcorn before bed" She shrugs "She wasn’t so bad I’ve had worse A lot worse" Hearing this, I can’t help but think of Sean He was brought up in foster care, too Those children were tested earlier for HTS, almost as soon as the science became available