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Peck

My phone buzzes and I ignore it It’s just one of uy in the sound booth shootson a track for the new album, because I want to see how sole He hits a button "Do you need to take a break?" he asks

I shakeI play druht now Anything my sisters have to say can wait until I’ain

"Let’s call it quits, shall we?" he says fro four sisters And soht now I’ it I crao out into the sound area and sit down next to the recording engineer "Let htly on the table while I talk

He ives me I like it I like it a lot I smile at him and nod

He sht" He shakes his head

"Don’t look so happy about it," I tease I take the headphones off and lay thes again, just as the door opens It flies inward, slaainst the wall I ju into the roo to call you for an hour," she blurts out She bends at the waist, trying to catch her breath She stands up, pressing a hand to her side

"What’s wrong?" I ask

"I can’t breathe," she pants She holds up one finger "Stairs" She gulps air

One of her gloves slips down her wrist, and that’s when I realize how serious this is Lark never takes her gloves off She never lets anyone see her hands or arerm freak--until I learned the truth But the fact that she just let her glove slip tells me a lot "Did someone die?" I ask

She nods But then she shakes her head Then she nods again

"Oh, my God!" I cover my mouth with my hand "Who?"

"Sam Reed," she pants out

My heart lurches My stomach dips and blackness crowds the corners of my vision

"Emily just called to say he was in a really bad accident They’re all on their way back froo to the hospital"

I sink into a chair "And he died?" How could he? We have unfinished business