Abby waited until she was sure that Joe was asleep. His breathing had evened out, the hard lines in his face softening as the medication pulled him under. Only then did she grab her phone and quietly slip her shoes on, easing the door shut behind her.
We can’t be together.
The words echoed in her head as she walked down the hallway, each step heavier than the last. Her chest felt tight, like she was breathing through wool, her eyes burning despite her efforts to blink the tears away.
It felt like a punch to the gut after everything she had done.
She had risked her career, her reputation, to protect him. She had become the source of whispered gossip across the compound. The one place she had always hoped to be respected now felt hostile and sharp-edged.
She had risked her brother. Hurt
