A message from Aiden: [Baby, why aren't you answering? Did you fall asleep?]
I stared at the screen. My stomach heaved.
I opened the chat. My fingers trembled as I typed.
[Not asleep.]
[Just saw a dog eating its own shit.]
I hit send and powered off my phone.
Glen dragged me all the way out of the bar. Only when we were standing on the street did he finally dare to breathe.
"Sis, have you lost your mind? That was Aiden Stephens!"
Glen wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, still shaken. "If you've made an enemy of him, our whole family is done for!"
I looked down at the blood on my ankle. It had already dried, crusted into an ugly scab.
"I don't know him."
My voice came out rough, barely above a whisper.
Glen blinked, then let out a breath of relief. "God, you scared me. I thought you were staring at him because you'd gone into shock or something." He shook his head. "Sis, don't come to places like this anymore. I can get myself back to school."
His eyes fell to the wound on my foot, guilt flickering across his face. "Does it hurt?"
"No."
Compared to the gaping hole in my chest, this was nothing.
After dropping Glen off, I returned to the marital home I shared with Aiden.