LILA
With no money for a taxi, I ran.
My lungs burned, my legs threatening to give out with every step, but I didn’t slow down. Something in me was certain Hannah wanted me to be late. That she was counting on it, waiting for the excuse, something she could twist into a reason to punish me.
I pushed harder.
By the time I reached the house, I was breathless, sweat clinging to my skin, my chest rising and falling too fast. I fumbled for my keys, slid one into the lock, and turned.
The door opened.
Relief hit me all at once.
I stepped inside, still trying to catch my breath. The house was quiet, too quiet, the kind of silence that made everything feel watched. Then Hannah’s voice carried from the kitchen.
“God must be on your side tonight,” she said, and there was something almost dis
