Abby’s ears were ringing by the time they got outside, the cold autumn air swirling around them. Lucas didn’t stop, guiding her farther from the main entrance and around the side of the building to a shallow alcove that blocked most of the wind.
“They can’t…” Her voice broke. Her throat felt shredded. “They can’t do this.”
Lucas didn’t answer. He wrapped his arms around her and held on, firm and steady, as if he was the only thing keeping her upright. Abby buried her face in his chest and sobbed, twisting her fingers into his shirt. Her heart felt like it was being sliced open, slowly and deliberately, every cut worse than the last.
How did it keep getting worse?
“Abby.”
She didn’t turn at her father’s voice. She couldn’t. She pressed her face harder into Lucas’s chest, drawing in his
