‘ Well…get on with it, ‘ Alessandra encouraged, joking manner betrayed by her smile. She glanced down at her hands, folded in her lap like a good, proper, Peculiar girl, and had to wonder why. Why she had her hands like this, why she still wore a heavy jacket in the stifling heat, why she had her hair up so tight that it hurt—it was all so unnecessary, but she didn’t complain, forcing herself to smile. ‘ Cause I know now, remember? ‘
“Okay, so I can tell by looking at you, something is on your mind. Do you wanna talk about it? Maybe divulge a few of your secrets for me? You don’t have to. But it looks like you’ve got a few you need to get off your chest.”













