The next twenty-four hours were the longest of Nora's life. She went to work at the coffee shop and went through the motions like a robot. She made lattes and cappuccinos and smiled at customers while her mind raced with thoughts of Marcus.
She counted her tips at the end of her shift. Forty-three dollars. She was not even close to paying off her debt. She walked home in the dark, the cold evening air biting at her cheeks. She climbed the stairs to her apartment and stood in front of her door for a long time, staring at the brass numbers.
She went inside and sat on the couch. The clock on the microwave read seven fifteen. She had forty-five minutes before Marcus showed up. She knew what she was going to do. She had known since the moment he walked out the door last night. She had no oth
