RIVER
The door slammed shut, and there she was--Mrs. Wilson, framed in the doorway, her eyes fixed on me. My lips moved despite being unsure what to say, but her frozen expression stopped me.
I was about to ask what was wrong when her face went pale and her eyes widened, as if she had seen a ghost.
"Whose blood is that?" She whispered sharply, her gaze falling to my shirt, hands, and the stains I had no idea were there. "Is that blood?"
I looked down, and my stomach dropped. It was smeared on me from when I cleaned Lexi. I would have changed my clothes if I had noticed the mess earlier.
"I—" My voice cracked, and instead of responding to her question, the words slipped out before I could stop them.
"Can River please stay here tonight? Please?" Mrs. Wilson paused before me, her expres
