la
had gone on
dding at the right moments, smiling when the convers
stion I needed to know urge
on me? Drug me? Put something in my product, lo
ind the answer in front of the culpri
aid simply. "I need to pr
s voice was warm wit
other," I said plea
, lifting it and pressing his lips to my knuckles
aid. "Once we're married, you won'
properly. I turned and left the resta
ent with the engine idling, my hands
t I wasn't around. I wanted to see for m
t where the shadows swallowed the car whole. I turned the eng
bodies close and easy, the body language of two peopl
glass, but I didn't need to. I wa
s moving close to his ear. Ronan's hand found her waist immediately, pulling her in,
ke they had all the time in the world. My hands tightened
once already, in another life, through a d
still
cheek, the tightening in my throat. I touched my fa
ing? I asked my
maller. Six years wasted on
more. Of handing him pieces of my life and watching hi
derneath everything, that
nd my little sister were about to make love in a p
till tangled. I sat in the dark and watched the windows fog slowly, fe
e version of me that had loved him anyway. T
grieve this rela
re. So I pulled out of
quiet, too small, and too full of the life I had bu
nation where I could cry lo
oned dump
-
nt and walked hurriedly down
the city had stopped maintaining years ago. Waste collected along the s
uman interaction, and all tha
xactly why
waves move under the moonlight, and fi
the band from my hair, letting i
y let my
, my hands covering my face, my whole body shaking with it. For Ronan. For Vivienne. For six years of a
how long I sta
heard f
eyes and tur
chest still rising and falling from the exertion. He was sweating at his temples, and the
n the one beach in the city that no
cou
xactly how I looked-red-eyed, hair everywhere, sitting in the sand of a dum
't read his express
arefully neutral. "Are you crying
on landed
the Vale Group. Everything had to be reduced to work to him. He didn't even see me
ing questions about the report d
aving a breakdown over spreadsheets. Frustration burned t
work-related, so I'd appreciate it if
left my mouth. I had just snapped
y and reprimand. I waited, prepared f
retched on, and he just stood th
said,
es a better job of offe
at him,
ime? The report deadline question-had he said it delib
k silhouette, comple
understan
ver
and exhaled. "I'm sorr
g to find him right there, close enough that I could see his fac
goodne
rly, frustratingly handsome. Even sweaty
had spent three years
t the ocean. "I'm glad to know
y breath, "Like I
ead slightly, o
o hot. "I-sorry.
inely the most awkward moment of m
quickly, "y
quiet. I sometimes try to help clear som
nced
t powerful fortunes in the country-came to a neglected
the rewrite. I can't have a distressed employ
to look
ing my deadline because he had simpl
ou," I said
ers, and looked down at me with that expressi
ong," he said sim
t another word, his figure disappearing into the
ing what to make of this moment. It w
ep inhale. Finally alone with my thoughts, and
d reluc
stran
/1/112214/coverbig.jpg?v=69bbc5d5f50f31d5294940095bc9300b&imageMogr2/format/webp)