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Dadclears his throat at the doorway. “You’renot… pregnant, are you?”

Ibark out a laugh so hard, howling untilIshoveAdrianaside to hurl into the toilet with what little bile is left in me.

“No,”Istate firmly. “Absolutelynot, no.”

Thenext breathItake burns the fuck out of my throat.

“Maybetake it easy the rest of the day,” he says, backing away. “Idon’t want puke all over the office.”

Iagree with a nod asIrise—withAdrian’shelp, of course.Dadeyeballs us a moment longer before disappearing from the doorway.

Igrab the trashcan and start to leave, butAdriangrabs my arm.

“Baby, what’s wrong?”

Pullingaway,Imurmur, “I’mnot thrilled with the idea of being forced into the same room as the guy who killed me.Orbeing in a room full of people who make split-second decisions like kicking my brother out of the band.”

Hepauses. “Mightbe a good idea for all of us to take a break for a week, anyway.”

Myjaw clenches.Iforce myself to move, stopping by the kitchen for bleach on my way to the backyard.

Thunk.

Mybrows knit as dirt spreads across the porch whenIpush the door further.Somethingthunks and rolls untilIstop the door and peek around it.

Ablack candle.

Withouta second thought,Ikick the dirt off the porch and grab the candle, stalking over to the edge of wild brush and throwing it as hard asIcan into a patch of prickly cactus.

Todayis going to be a normal fucking day, goddamn it.

Iturn on the water spigot and grab the hose, first to rinse my mouth again, my dirty hands, and the can before dousing it in bleach.

Huffing, my face turns toward the bright blue sky.It’snot even noon yet andI’malready roasting in my own sweat and clothes like a baked potato.

Aheavy breath passes my lips as my gaze dawdles down the length of trees.Cicadascry loudly, deafening everything else in earshot.

Feathersruffle in the trees.

Mybody freezes.

Eyesnarrowing,Istudy the intruder intently—a gray barred owl.

It’sfairly big and menacing, but it doesn’t have long black hair or any human features.Idon’t see any bloody guts dangling from its beak.

Itstares right back at me, though.

Itwatches me asIstep foot inside the cool house.

Afterputting up the bleach and brushing my teeth,Ifollow the hushed voices drifting from the office untilI’mlingering outside the door.

“...ain’t another piece of tail.I’mnot about to let her be another notch on your bedpost.”

“It’snot like that—”

“Iknow your type,Dree.Youhit the rock star lifestyle hard, and that’s all fun and good, but keep my daughter out of it.She’soff limits, understood?”

“I-Ican’t do that.Ilove her.”