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I reached over and turned on the bedside lamp.

“Can I come in too?”

I nodded at my oldest sister. Both women sat down on the bed beside me. For just a moment I flashed back to the days when we all lived together in our family home. Usually there was Maddie and Evie on the bed too. Not Piper—we always tried to protect her. Keep her in the dark about all the ugliness.

I didn’t want to think too much about the past.

“Zarek thinks you should go to Dallas with him,” Trenda said baldly. “I think it’s a bad idea.”

“Yeah, you think I should be fixed,” I said bitterly.

Trenda winced.

“How much of that did you hear?” Zoe asked.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I got up when you were arguing and listened to some of it, then I went back to bed. I needed to think.”

“I’m sorry you heard me say that.” Trenda reached out to grasp my hand and I jerked it away.

“I can’t even hold your hand?” Trenda asked softly, the hurt clear on her face.

“I’m sorry,” I said, reaching out and grabbing my sister’s hand. “It was reflex.”

“Honey, you need help. We need to get you into counselling. It helped me after I was held hostage. I made an appointment with my therapist. She’ll see you the day after tomorrow.”

It took everything I had not to pull my hand back.

“Trenda, you’re pushing,” Zoe admonished.

“You know I’m right,” Trenda said. “Zoe, we have to help her. Look at her, she’s fading right before our very eyes. I refuse to let her deteriorate and do nothing about it. Not on my watch.”

This time I was able to pull away from Trenda’s grasp. “Don’t talk like I’m not even here. Like I’m not even a person.” I shoved out from beneath the covers and stood up beside the bed.

“Get away from me. Both of you!”

“What did I do?” Zoe whined.

“Out! Both of you! Out!”

“Trenda was the one out of line. This is so not fair.” Zoe protested.

“I hate you both.” I was vibrating with rage.

Where had that come from?

“But I didn’t do anything,” Zoe said standing toe to toe with me.

“No shit you didn’t do anything. You never do anything. You’re never where you should be, you’re always shirking your responsibilities. You’re always gallivanting around and just leaving it to the rest of us to shoulder all the hardships. Get the fuck out of here, Zoe!”

Zoe went rigid.

“You don’t mean that.” Trenda stood up slowly from the bed.

“Get. Out.”

From the corner of my eye, I saw the door open farther and Zarek stand in the doorway.

“Please, Chloe, let’s talk.” Zoe begged.