Looking at him makes my skin crawl with ingrained hatred, a visceral response cultivated since childhood. Yet here I am, seeking his help.
Desperate times don’t just call for desperate measures. They call for you to turn your back on everything you ever thought you knew.
“You’re lucky I came at all.”
We stand fifteen feet apart, both of us well aware of what this meeting means. What lines we’re both crossing.
“I wouldn’t have contacted you if there was any other option,” I say.
It’s unlike me to confess that I’m trapped. But for Rowan, I’ll swallow my pride.
For her, I’d choke on it.
“I know.” He stays where he is, hands visible but tense. “If anyone in my family discovers I’m here, I’m dead.”
“If anyone in my family discovers I asked for your help, I’m worse than dead.”
The ghost
