Lia didn't answer Julian's question.
Instead, she stood from the table, her chair scraping against hardwood. "I'm tired. The stress of today I need to rest."
"Amelia." Julian's voice stopped her before she reached the doorway. "We're going to have to talk about this eventually."
"I know." She kept her back to him. "But not tonight. Please."
A long pause. Then: "Of course. Get some rest. We have a counseling session tomorrow at ten."
Lia climbed the stairs to the guest room, locked the door behind her, and finally let herself fall apart.
She made it to the bathroom before the tears came silent, shaking sobs that left her breathless. Five years she'd spent in this house. Five years of pretending, performing, becoming smaller and smaller until she almost disappeared entirely.
And now s
