Chapter 21: The Night Shift

Harrison's POV

She knocked on my front door at eleven on Friday night, with an overnight bag in one hand and snow melting on her hair.

"There are two photographers on Marlborough Street," Thea said.

"One is asleep in his car, and the other is eating a sandwich on my steps."

"Come in."

"Term one," she said. "You say I'm not allowed."

"I'm saying come in."

She stepped over the threshold of the house she had left in November.

She stood in the hall and looked at the pendulum clock, which was still ticking.

I put her bag in the ground-floor guest room.

Nothing in it had changed.

The sheets were fresh, because I had changed them every Sunday and told myself I was only being tidy.

"Caleb's upstairs," I said. "He has the weekend."

"I know. I'll be quiet."

"Thea." I kept my hand on the doorframe so it would not do anything else. "I won't ask why you came here."

"Good." She sat on the edge of the bed. "Because I can't tell you everything yet."

"Your mother gave me something. I'm going to use it, and I need to choose the room."

"I'll trust you to choose."

She looked up, and I realized I had not answered the way she expected.

"You won't ask what it is?" she said.

"No."

"It might hurt you."

"I know." I made myself smile. "Then I'll hear it when everyone else does."

She almost laughed.

I went upstairs, and I did not sleep.

At two, I heard Caleb whimper through the wall, and I was in his room before the second sound.

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