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"Where were you tonight?" Glass asked wearily It was like last year all over again Ever since her father had left the out all hours of the night and soh the day Now Glass didn’t have the energy to be ery, about herof sadness

Sonja’s lips twisted into a gruesome approximation of a smile "You have no idea what I’ve done to protect you" was all she said "You need to stay away froed "I know you think he’s just--"

"That’s enough," her mother snapped "Don’t you realize how lucky you are to even be here? I’ to let you die for soirls and then abandons the shrill "You don’t even know him"

"He doesn’t care about you You were ready to die to save hiotten all about you"

Glass winced It was true that Luke had started seeing Camille while Glass was in Confines she’d said when she broke up with him in a desperate attempt to keep him safe

"Glass" Sonja’s voice quivered with the strain of trying to remain calm "I’m sorry to be harsh But with the Chancellor still on life support, you need to be careful If he wakes up and has any reason, any reason at all, to revoke your pardon, he will" She sighed "I can’t let you risk your life again Have you already forgotten what happened last tiotten The memory of it was as per she would carry with her the rest of her life And her uards’ strange looks as she passed the checkpoint and began crossing the skybridge toward Walden Let thes if they wanted No punishave her could possibly hurt more than what she was about to do

It was late afternoon, and the corridors were thankfully e shift by now, but Carter would still be at the distribution center, where he worked sorting nutrition packets Glass kneas foolish--Carter hated her, and he would hate her even more once he found out that she had broken Luke’s heart--but she couldn’t bear to break up with Luke with Carter in the other roo her hand to her stomach She had to do it now She’d already put this off so e to break up with him, then hesitate as the terrible words rose to her mouth Next time, she always promised herself I just need to see hi noticeably rounder Even on half rations, it was getting harder and harder for Glass to disguise her weight gain under the shapeless dresses that prompted snickers from Cora Soon she would start to show And once she did, there would be questions The Council would demand to knoho the father was If she was still in touch with Luke, he would find out, and volunteer hiuided attempt to save her that would only end in both of their deaths

You’re saving his life, Glass told herself as she knocked on the door, realizing that this was the last time she would ever stand in this spot The last tiirl in the universe Her oords of encouragement sounded hollow to her ears

But when the door opened, it wasn’t Luke standing there It was Carter, wearing nothing but a pair of plain work pants

"He’s not here," he growled, his eyes narrowing as he took in her flushed cheeks

"Oh, sorry," Glass said, taking an involuntary step back "I’ll co out and grabbing her ar painfully over her wrist

"What’s the hurry?" he asked with a sudden grin that made her stoot held up"

Glass winced, rubbing her wrist, as she followed Carter inside She’d forgotten how tall he was

"Did you not have work today?" she asked in her e of the couch where she and Luke usually sat Her heart craainst his shoulder again, or run her fingers through his curls as he lay with his head in her lap

"I wasn’t in the

"Oh," Glass said, biting back a criticisain, and the only position below the distribution center was sanitation duty "I’m sorry," she added, because she wasn’t sure what else to say

"No, you’re not," Carter said, taking a pull of an unmarked bottle Glass wrinkled her nose Black-market whiskey "You’re just like all the other assholes on Phoenix All you care about is yourself"

"You knohat, I should be going," Glass said,space toward the door "Tell Luke I’ll see hirabbed the handle without turning around, but before she could open the door, Carter reached over her shoulder and leaned forward to sla to face hi chills down Glass’s spine "What’s the proble down to rub his hands over her ar it down on Walden Don’t pretend to be all choosy"

"What are you talking about?" Glass spat, wincing as she tried unsuccessfully to break his grip

He frowned, digging his fingers painfully into her ar around with Luke But I’ve known plenty of Phoenix girls like you You’re all the sa one of her arms, he reached his other hand around and started to fumble with the waistband of her pants

"Stop," Glass said, trying to push hih her veins Then, o!"

"It’s okay," Carterher arhed le free She thrashed around wildly, trying to jab her knee into his stomach, but she was trapped

"Don’t worry," Carter said, filling her ear with his sour breath "Luke won’t mind He owes me this, after all I’ve done for hi"