Midnight’s chill seeps into my second-story bedroom through the open window. I sit up in bed, groggy. I was nearly asleep. Is it the cold that woke me, or a sound? I listen carefully, watching the shadows in my room. The house should be empty; Dale is attending an event tonight. I should have told him I was coming home early, but I didn’t want him to ask prying questions or judge me like he always does. Having to confess that the senator’s son he tried to match me with turned into a total creep would only make my stepdad disappointed in me. Again. “Autumn, would it kill you to behave, to act
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