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She turned away fro in the opposite direction, back toward the parking lot where her car was parked It was then that she noticed it, that sae sensation she’d felt the day before That sa sensation that prickled more than just the hairs of her nose

That found its way all the way down inside of her

Stronger today, even, than it had been before Stronger and ht she knehy

Because today the sleeping pills were finally wearing off Today her head was clearer, her senses were more alert Her ability was unhindered

And this sensation was an echo of so for soht be co from But no one person looked any different from anyone else No one see, shifting and pushing along the sidewalks

Fronized the noisy ru, and then she heard the steady drone of his engine as he pulled into traffic She had the vague realization that he was leaving without her, that he was going to beat her to the Center, but she stayed where she was, rooted to her spot as foot traffic continued around her

Just when she thought itfro fro and was followed i that sent icy prickles racing up Violet’s spine

She went co, her feet pounding viciously against the paveh the crowds that were already starting to foredy

Around her, Violet heard sharp gasps and the frantic rise ofcacophony All the while, she fervently prayed that it wasn’t what she thought it was That it wasn’t who she thought it was

But when she burst through the crowd, she saw it: Rafe’s motorcycle lay coreen sedan that had been co in the intersection, stopped almost directly on top of the bike Violet watched as its driver e furiously as she reached up and gingerly touched her face Angry red abrasions tore across the skin of her cheeks, chin, forehead, and nose Inside the wo had deployed

Violet scanned the asphalt--the chaos of the scene--searching for any sign of Rafe When she didn’t see hi in the center of her chest as she figured he must have been okay after all Maybe he’d walked away, he’d somehow co so of peoplethat derisive smirk on his face