Putting Emma in Danger

Sera

My hands shook as I closed myself into a bathroom on the second floor, locking it shut. Red wallpaper suffocated me as I turned on the fan and the water to drown out my voice in the event Tommaso lingered nearby. He’d asked if I knew how to get back upstairs to my room, and I did. I’d watched him walk away, but I knew I only had minutes to accomplish this before he realized his phone was missing and came looking for it.

I just needed to know everyone was okay. That was it.

No harm. No foul. Right?

I doubted Tommaso would see it that way.

I quickly dialed my old number and pressed the phone to my ear while looking at my reflection in the mirror. I hardly recognized myself. My face wasn’t as full as it used to be. I had no color in my cheeks, either. My eyes were puffy and red, most likely from all the crying I’d done these past weeks. I hoped it wasn’t permanent. Was that possible?

The skin beneath my eyes was sunken and purple, and my skin lacked its usual elasticity from the wei