Lu
that refused to end. My head was fizzing with stress from territory dispu
f each other until it wa
r all th
r
ept dodging my eyes when I tried to talk. She wa
asn't thinking ab
amn n
me more than the
wanted
e the moment I walked
esk lamp wa
ent sideways and salty. She did her sketches here, her late-night readings, her q
meone was packing up th
ptop s
ut to shut it off when my
dozen job a
s. Seamstress work. Designer app
resume. Her skill list. Her portfolio of designs-clothes she never
mach d
t; she was dead ser
a world outside of mine, jus
as it jealousy, guilt, or panic?
slammed the
long moment. Then I walked
he bedroom door
n was gone from the hook on th
ing anger buil
he hell
ng. The twins were asleep. The
my phone.
en I did something I neve
t pulsed o
blood r
st tig
n I heard
lear, happy laugh
fr
ghing? At
r this time, quiet enough that I h
hadn't heard in years. "If I mess up the inte
I finally told him about the divorce. And guess what? He
clenche
out even telling me first. Like I was history,
stabbing pain hi
d the d
quickly vanished. Her bright joy disappeared, re
ack," she said quickl
ddenly felt
the doorframe. "W
g to my
Tell me now
o you
r I'll find
y of your busines
aughter, and I couldn't remember th
t about to
ed like that with m
you never gav
ared in
"I told you, Aria
ne when you left me alone in our room las
my gaze fixed on the screen of her phone. "Yo
then her chin
ed in me. "You don't get t
. "The paperwork is
ntil I could feel the warmth coming off her skin. Sh
d her wrist, not to hurt her,
walk away?" I asked, m
ed to p
er ground, even though I could see a faint
you doing wit
tated. "
many job a
twitched
stop myself. My grip tightened just enough to ma
r snap back. But she didn't. She went still, looked right at me, and in tha
e
hate
n that phone, making her smile like they owned a part of her. And I hated my
d to let
*
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