Ruby’s POV

The ride back was painfully silent. I didn’t say a word, and neither did John. He kept one hand on the wheel, the other resting on the armrest like he hadn’t just blackmailed me with the one thing he knew I couldn’t fight against, my foster mother.

The tires hummed softly against the road, streetlights flashing across the windshield in slow pulses. I stared out the window, watching the world pass in smears of yellow and shadow.

My chest was tight. I kept thinking about ...