When she could no longer endure the fear, the twists and turns born of her creative mind about the dreadful things she’d begun to imagine happening to Ryan in pristine detail, Lia took control of the situation the only way she knew how: by recasting the starring role.
In place of the young, insecure Ryan Green, the central character would be portrayed by Exene Cervenka. In place of Ryan’s lost, desperate gaze and need to follow Neil’s lead without question would be Exene—strong and defiant. With her hooded eyes, lashes heavy with days-old coats of mascara, she would freeze Neil out of his own dirty apartment with her cold stares. Exene would send Neil out on errands to buy her cigarettes and Joan Crawford Red nail lacquer, which she might drizzle quite deliberately onto his dirty shag rug
