Halfway through, I stretched and decided to take a short break.
I was curious what Geoffrey was up to.
While my mind wandered, Clementine and Clara showed up.
I was puzzled. How did they even know I was here?
A second later, Clementine set a steaming lunch box on my desk and signed,
"You know you'll forget to eat once you start writing. So I brought you something."
Clara held out a thermos.
"Chicken soup. Simmered it all afternoon, just for you."
All that warmth, all that fussing. If I hadn't already lived through what comes next—if I hadn't seen exactly who they really were—I never would have believed these two were the ones feeding me to the wolves.
I forced a smile.
"Perfect timing. I was just getting hungry."
"Let me wash my hands first, then I'll dig in."
I grabbed my phone and left the library.
I never went to the restroom. I ducked around the corner and held still. Through the gap in the doorway—there it was. The second Clara thought I was gone, her phone was out, aimed straight at my outline on the desk. Click.