SIGNED AND SEALED; Still falling

t she felt it without it actually landing, and then he pulled back the way he always

und them and cameras went off and she smiled because that was the

show," he said,

meant it to, and she saw him notice, saw something shift in

e other kind. Catalina kept her eyes on the window

e it that convincing,"

nces." Just that. "

funny. "Sometimes I honestly can't tell if yo

Walls don't get hurt," he said,

ng to say to that. So

-

t the ceiling. Two months. She kept saying it to herself. Two months and she could walk away from all of this

nt, book on her chest, city lights do

oke u

yed still for a moment, just sitting with that, then looked to

ng and tried very hard not to think about what it mean

-

looking like a man who had absolutely not been putting blankets on sleeping women at two in the m

t after that. Nothing she

-

that she kept not throwing away, thinking about nothing except coffee, and almost walked straight into Alej

stop

. "There's f

e said. "Or like. Normal

said, and the corner of

ast him to get a mug. "

d him too. She kept her eyes on her coffee and let him pretend it hadn't ha

-

e not paying attention. Nina started leaving tea out without being asked. The driver s

ar the building, mentioned it to no one really, the w

s in the garage. Fed. Clean

to find A

at," s

from his laptop.

course she did." And she left, and she was almost

-

Thursday. Past midnight, light still on under the study

side him, staring at a stack of papers like he hate

ay?" sh

ber the last t

oss from him. "Y

"Sleep doesn't

re in her chest, quie

"Everyone does, eventually," he said

something for a while now, kept finding reasons no

ng I've been mea

edness was gone, back behind that face he wore when he was be

s already

. There'd be a

-

atching each other from behind nice smiles. Catalina had gotten good at this by now, the smiling, the small t

times when he thought she wasn't looking. Like he was trying to

self it was

d. Eyes going straight to Alejandro across the

ng up," she said.

im go still bes

over. Slow. "So this i

one," Alejand

"Careful, sweetheart. Men like him don

mth. "Weird, I didn't know ex

dro's hand pressed into her back and steere

-

the terrace. City below them. N

r," Catal

kno

en

't want to stand there watchi

loser than they needed to be, and she was very aware of that, and she had a feeling he was too. She thought about the blanket. The

dro," s

and his p

moment was gone. T

-

errace when she heard

't bother

e sure o

treat what's m

'm not yours. Two mon

uld never read, then almost smiled. "Get