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“Your English is excellent,” Vaughn said

I knew he’d meant the words as a co I knewcalled from far away

“Aleks, sweetheart, just focus on my voice”

I felt roar my upper arms but not in a bad way

“Aleks, open your eyes”

When had I closed my eyes?

I did as he said and forced ht was everywhere, but it wasn’t anything h the car like before

Only now the car wasn’t

And Vaughn didn’t have his hands on the wheel They were onmy arms My shirt sleeves had ridden up on ive entle squeeze

“Breathe, baby,” Vaughn whispered

I autoan to feel less fuzzy Ason the side of the road, but not on the interstate anymore We were on the shoulder of an off-ramp

“What… what happened?” I asked

“Here, drink this,” Vaughn said as he handedto focus on as I tried to get s

My fingers were shaking as I tried to put the cap back on the bottle, so Vaughn took it from me and closed it, then set the bottle in the cup holder between us

“What happened?” I asked

“Aleks, have you ever lost time before?”

“What? I don’t knohat that means,” I said

“Have you ever blacked out and woken up minutes or hours later or in a different place… after you left Chicago?”

“No, I—” I began, but then fell silent Then I was nodding “A few tinus and Dante… they, ue places sometimes”

“What places?”