ALERA

His question has my heart missing a beat.

It's such a simple question. One I should answer without bating an eye.

But I'm left started, like I'd just heard glass hit the floor and shatter. I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. My throat is dry. My brain scrambles, short-circuiting ik the process but it still can’t come up with a single word that doesn’t sound like a lie.

Tell him the truth.

No.

He could decline even further. Maybe he'll just have a heart attack that'll ...