ELENA

“It’s not what it looks like,” I said, which was a stupid thing to say, because it was exactly what it looked like.

Andrea didn’t even bother to answer that. She just stood there with her phone already back in her pocket and one eyebrow raised, waiting to see how far I’d embarrass myself, and the waiting was worse than anything she could have said. I felt the lie curdle in my mouth before I finished it. I was crouched on the stairs with my hand still half-open from where ...