CHAPTER 19
THE FIRE THAT REMAINS
Lisa left without saying much more.
I listened to her footsteps fade down the corridor until the door finally clicked shut. I had managed to hold myself together while she was here, but the moment I was alone again, whatever strength had been keeping me upright simply disappeared. I sank back against the wall and pulled my knees to my chest, resting my forehead against them.
The room was too quiet.
My mind returned to what had happened almost immediately, bringing back pieces I didn’t want—the sound of his voice, the weight of his body, the pain, the humiliation. I squeezed my eyes shut and pressed my fingers into my arms, trying to give myself something else to concentrate on, but the memories refused to stay buried. I had spent my whole life learnin
