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"Why, though? I mean, I’ve lived with someone as mentally ill, and that’s not …" I trail off

Her concentration floats fro to the scars on my hand "Was it the people who did that to you? That weird cult thing I found out about?"

I withdraw my hand and tuck it toAbout showing you that tattoo thing That I haven’t found your brother for you yet"

"That’s not your responsibility" I return my hand to the wheel "Besides, it doesn’t matter Lila told me the other day that she looked into my brother, and … apparently he dropped out of the systeain"

Her eyes widen "Oh my God, I’m so sorry"

"It’s not your fault It’s … well, it’sstarted with her" My hands begin to shake on the wheel as I remember the day she handed us over to those people

They were actually our next door neighbors, had been for a while She needed a babysitter so she could go get her next fix She questioned nothing, not even the chains in the living roo their next victims

"What about yourher could help us find your brother and sister"

"She’s dead And I don’t knoho my dad is, so that won’t help us either Face it, I’ll probably never get to see anyone froain"

"Ayden …" She clears her throat "You have a faorys love you And … so do I"

Breathe, breathe, breathe

With the sound of your heart

With the whisper of your soul

Until everything connects

Co

I can’t speak Can barely breathe Lyric’s eyes refuse to leaveeverywhere but at her I wonder if this is the ti to push rand forward in the seat and scrolling through the song lists again, going back to the original conversation withouta beat "Maybe that’s whyto turn out like her"

Air rushes back to e

As we reach the last house on the street, I turn into the driveway "Why would she think that? You’re like the happiest person I know" I stop at the end of the drive, shove the shifter into park, and slide the keys out of the ignition