Twice burnt, Once Loved

BROO

dancing lazily in the air. I had promised myself I'd make this day productive-cook a warm meal for Dad, acquire a

I'd had Ja

ht around my heart. He had once been the center of my world, the reason I s

of the newspaper on my lap. If I could focus on job li

aked open wi

the dev

ing with satisfaction. "Hey, Suzy. Still reading those boring

I had discovered firsthand t

You've gone deaf since Ja

want me to say, Chloe? You wanted him, and now you have him. Congratulation

harp and hollow

canned the classifieds until something sparked-three vacancies, e

etter me. I want money, independence, and to n

never expected her to sink so low as to sleep with my boyfriend. And then

ars. No mo

tantly when I saw Isla's name. My best f

he greeted, with war

ine,"

t still crying over that

. I'm done shedding tears over a man who ch

's my

me there, but I hesitated. Crowds weren't appealing right now. She brushed o

e enough,"

fuse," she shot back. "Do y

ree only because you are

asted beans and cinnamon was oddly comforting. Mr. Baker greeted me with a war

one of the tables started watching

en I passed. "Give me some s

turned away, but his hand

re going?" His breath wa

. "Let go of me,

through the noise-calm, low, and dangero

d the man on the floor, gro

red, and dressed in a tailored suit that whispered money. His scent wa

hrugging off his jacket and

home, but I shook my

tepped outside. "I insist. My car's ri

g him. His smile was

" I said finally,

s grip warm and steady. "Now,

e, I did

with old-fashioned chivalry. On th

chest felt just a little lighter. I discovered, again