My brother held my hand tight and led me away, leaving the two seething, face-twisted pair further and further behind us. He kept his hand locked around mine the whole walk back to the car, his solid grip calming my jittery nerves.
I stretched my mouth into a wide grin for him, trying to ease his worry. "Bro, I'm really okay, I swear. My final assessment today, the doctor said I'm fully recovered. See? Even running into them just now didn't shake me at all. Right now, the only thing I can think about is that homemade bowl of pasta you make. I'm craving it badly. They didn't get to me at all."
Ethan pulled the car over to the curb.
When he turned to look at me, every word he spoke was heavy with gravity, "Chloe, I haven't made a move against them these three years, but it's not because
