The Price of Peace

VALERIE

Gemma's face crumpled, the fight draining out of her like air from a punctured balloon. She looked down at the table, her shoulders sagging, her hands limp and useless in her lap, and she did not say a word.

I took another bite of my pasta, savoring the silence, savoring the taste of victory that was somehow sweeter than the carbonara on my tongue.

Gemma suddenly shook her head, her