Theansion's front door clicked shut behind us, the heavy mahogany muffling the oppressive silence that usually suffocated the foyer. For the first time in weeks, the air didn't feel entirely toxic, but it still carried the weight of what I had to do.
Madison was standing near the foot of the grand staircase, swinging her small leather shoulder bag back and forth, her dark eyes wide and expectant. She had been back from her out-of-state boarding school for less than forty-eight hours, locked away from the internet by strict school policies, entirely insulated from the storm that had torn our family apart. She still thought our world was intact, and ever since, it's been one lie or another
"So," Madison said, her voice bright, slicing through the stillness. "You promised. You said if I unpacked my trunk without complaining, we could spend the entire afternoon out. No tutors, no curfews, no weird house rules."
