32 Harlow knew what it felt like when the world went on pause. Everything had stalled when Ryske was shot, when Hagan dropped, when the cops came to take her away. What she was experiencing in her parents’ kitchen was a new kind of pause. This time it didn’t feel like reality had just taken a breath, it felt like the whole damn world had capsized. Black was white. Up was down. Left was right. For a moment, she stood there blinking into oblivion, trying to remember if she should breathe in or out. “Harlow,” Rupert said. “Did you hear what I—” “I heard you,” she said, holding up a hand that told him to keep his distance when he tried to touch her. She didn’t know when he’d moved from the door and gotten closer to her, but he must have because he was there with Lena at his side. Anothe

