Chapter 355

• Tara can’t look me in the eye now. “Not like at the festival. It’s a real whip, and it really, really hurts. I felt so bad for Josh because he kept saying ‘sorry’ after every lash.”
• “No way.” I push myself up from the bed and bolt across the room, as if I can escape the ceremony by getting further from my sister’s description of it.
• “Do you want me to keep talking, or have you heard enough?” Tara asks, genuine concern behind her words.