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take one more step.

“Are you okay?” Kiera’s voice drifted from somewhere above her and

Romi realized that she was sitting down right in Allen’s dusty driveway.

“I…” Her fingers fumbled with the laces on the boots. “It’s just…I think

I got a couple blisters. And maybe I didn’t drink enough water. Or, like,

any.”

“Jesus,” Kiera hissed, but she bent down and quickly unlaced Romi’s

right boot before she could protest. She pulled it off so gently and carefully

that Romi forgot all about the pain in her feet and focused on the way her

stomach and heart were suddenly both doing backflips.

That lasted for about two seconds. Then she saw her foot. Blackspots

swam in front of her eyes, her stomach lurched for another reason, and it

was all she could do to keep herself from passing out from the sight of all

that blood.

Chapter 7

Kiera

One look at Romi’s feet and Kiera had to bite down hard on her bottom

lip to keep a scream from coming out, or worse, saying something that was

going to terrify Romi, who already looked like she was either going to pass

out or toss her cookies right there.

“How could this have happened? Oh my god, you should have said

something!”

“I…it didn’t feel that bad. A little chaffing and blistery, but I didn’t think

it was worse than that.” Romi curled her hands into fists and went a few

shades whiter.

“I’m going to have to take the other boot off too.”

Romi groaned. “It’s going to be bad. Just do it. Fast. Like you did the

other one. I’ll grind my teeth. I won’t make a sound. I promise.”

“I’m not worried about sounds. What I’m worried about,” Kiera said as

she grabbed the other boot and undid the laces, “is you—your feet. This is