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“That you were just protecting yourself, in self-defense.”

I returned her sad smile.

That may be true.

But that didn’t make me any less of a killer.

CHAPTER THREE

BRYN

My thumbs drummed against the steering wheel of my truck. A dull headache beginning to bloom behind my eyes.

I needed a drink.

Lucky for me, Hunter had called and said a few of our friends were meeting at a local dive just outside Fort Gray, but still within the city’s limits.

I’d been quick to accept his invitation; anything to forget the earlier therapy session I’d suffered through.

Heading toward the bar, I shuffled through the stations on my truck’s radio, hoping music would cheer me up. But nothing penetrated the misery. The normal alternative music I loved felt too depressing, and country music felt comical. The only thing that caught my interest was a local broadcast of two men talking, their conversation grabbing my attention.

“How can we be sure we’re alone in the universe?” the first man spoke excitedly. “It’s too vast to assume. Just because there have never been signs of life from other planets doesn’t mean it’s not out there . . .”

The second man piggybacked off the first. “You know, scientists have been studying seismic activity throughout different parts of the world for years, narrowing down unexplained disturbances to certain days of the year, and locations near water⁠—”

I pressed the radio’s dial at its center, shutting the broadcast off.

I had enough anxiety as it was, without listening to local doomsday conspiracy theorists.

Our world was messed up enough. We didn’t need to focus on life in space. We needed to focus on our own people, to the constant crises humanity faced daily.

Space exploration could wait.

My truck rolled to a stop at a red light, and in that moment, everything felt so heavy that I considered driving out of the city, passing the sign that read, Welcome to Gray population: 9,000, and never coming back.

But where would I go once I got on the open road?

Nowhere, that’s where.

Even if I found a new place to hole up, I would be miserable by myself, sitting at some shitty bar where no one knew me. At least in Gray, I could sit at a shitty bar with friends and not feel so alone.

Running my palms over the steering wheel, I stared at the mountain in the distance and the breathtaking beauty of Gray Waterfall; the scenery somehow more stunning from down here in the valley than up close, a reminder that nothing could make me drive away from the landform that had attached itself to my psyche.

The driver behind me laid on their horn as the light turned green, not even giving me the chance to take my foot off the brake before rushing me.

On a normal day, I would’ve flipped them off in my rear-view, but I didn’t have my usual boldness about me today; instead, I was defeated, and wondered if I’d ever be happy again.

I think I needed two drinks.

A neon sign that said Rusty’s was glowing in the early night as dusk settled and I pulled into the small bar’s parking lot.

Hunter was already waiting for me, sitting on his tailgate with Niall—his best friend of forever.

Wherever Hunter had gone growing up, Niall had followed, with his ashy brown hair and boyish charm. If the pair of them had ever gotten into trouble, you could count on Niall to be the reason why. He just had that way about him. You couldn’t not love Niall. He was practically my second brother with how often he was around.

Niall didn’t give me a chance to put a fake smile on my face before he was opening my truck’s door and ushering me out into a bear hug. “I’m honored you decided to show your pretty face tonight.”

“Leave her alone, Niall.” Hunter laughed, shoving Niall off me. “You reek of sweat and poor Bryn looks like she wants to throw up all over you.”