In the eerie silence, my blood rushes in my ears like the sound of the sea in the hollow of a conch. Taking a deep breath through my nose, I exhale through my mouth.

You got this, Valerie. You got this.

When I open the door, I stare at her in awe. Adria's stunning, like a work of art. Not a single strand of her ebony curls is out of place. Even these ugly school uniforms suit her slender hourglass figure.

Her brown eyes twinkle in delight when she sees me, and she gives me a warm hug, her voice as smooth as silk. "Good morning, Valerie."

The blood drains from my face as she pulls away. Adria furrows her brow in that cute way she does when she doesn't understand something.

"Are you okay?" she asks. "You're pale and quiet this morning."

I open my mouth, but the words won't come. It's as though God has struck me dumb.

Say it, Valerie. Just say it.

Don't listen to them. It's not sinful. Love is beautiful in all its forms.

"Lost your voice?" Adria rests her hand on my forearm. "You must have that flu that's been going around."

After an awkward silence, I come to my senses when her sister Brieanna rushes towards us. She's the complete antithesis of her sister—brusque, harsh, and built solidly like an oak tree. It's amazing the two are related at all. More than once, I've wondered if one of them might be adopted.

Her frizzy blonde hair frames her face like a halo, but she's no angel. Her sapphire-blue gaze pierces me like a lance.

"What's up, Val?" Brieanna says. "You're pale as hell. Crap, you should probably stay home if you're sick."

"Yeah, I don't feel great."

"Well, stay the heck away from me, girl! Didn't know I was coming to the Plague Palace."

"Perhaps I can help?" Adria asks. "You need to get back to bed."

At her innocent suggestion, blood rushes back into my cheeks with a vengeance. I need to get a grip before the whole world can tell how I feel.

"Adria," Brieanna hisses under her breath. "What did we say about boundaries?"

"Sorry, Mis—"

Brieanna coughs.

"I mean, sis. I just wanted to help."

I rack my brain to find an excuse. Anything so that Adria and I can be alone. "Can you carry my backpack inside, Adria? I feel a bit dizzy."

"Of course."

"I'll wait out here for you," Brieanna says.

Thank God for small mercies. Now I can finally tell her.