I feel like she knocked the air out of my lungs.
“No,” I say. “It’s nothing. Less than nothing.”
The kitchen door opens with a creak. Lila presses herself against the wall, shooting me a warning glance. There’s no time to dash for the closet, so I step into the kitchen to take whatever’s coming. To give Lila a few minutes to hide.
Philip smiles from the doorway. “I knew you were here.”
“I just walked in,” I say, even though he knows I’m lying.
He takes a step toward me, and I take a step back. I wonder if he’s going to try to kill me. I hold up my hands, still bare. He doesn’t seem to even notice.
“I need you to tell her,” Philip says, and for a moment I don’t know who he’s talking about. “Tell Maura I was weak. Tell her I’m sorry. Tell her I didn’t know how to stop.”
“I told you I
