Chapter 79

• Standing inside the entrance, my heart was racing, I couldn’t get my feet to move. We’d met the contact outside the building, then everyone went in together, all fourteen of us. The others were speaking with the administrator and as hard as I tried, I couldn’t get my body to move beyond this point. I shouldn’t have come. I shouldn’t be here. My mouth was dry, I was sweating, all sounds around me were muted. I saw Rafael’s head snap around and look at me. He knew what I was feeling. He turned around and looked at me. It was like he was moving in slow motion toward me.
• I saw him in front of my face, his mouth moving but I couldn’t hear anything he was saying. His touch against my face registered slowly, a feeling of warmth filled me. I didn’t know how he was doing it.
• “Hey,” I heard his voice finally, soft, whispering and steady, “you’re not the same girl that escaped,” he said quietly.