Ella

Elijah sighs, long and deep. His eyes meet mine, and I can see the weight of what he's about to confess. It makes my heart twist in ways I didn't think possible.

"I'm sorry, Ella," he says, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry for lying to you."

I don't say anything. I just watch him, waiting for him to continue.

"I didn't want to tell you," he says finally, "because I know how much you hate this drug business, Ella. They kill people. ...