should have
M, it usu
to
lowed on the e
lessly behind her in reflections of gold and motion. La
it was
en still displa
ing in the w
n't clo
touch
ng it felt lik
fused to p
t
slowly, eyes s
ng looke
ing fel
was do
t rus
ere pa
ibe
ng her
ng her
e part she
he br
e intr
nderstood her process well
e buzzed
anced
ea
missed
mess
you h
nni
tightene
il
ie
sis
ed up th
ed a
ced it b
e d
k f
at she to
deep
wasn't the ful
flickered
h
kne
ghts w
fer f
shadow, the only illuminatio
tbeat ki
n
ic
ste
whispered un
ges weren'
t
t t
flickered faintly
door rema
il
st
r stood
vement c
sur
ed towar
sto
so
ind
o
ly t
shift
rned s
th
de
ch
glow of
pt
tting it g
came from
o
a
fami
arply, tension brea
sep
de, closing the
did
e said. "Elevators are still ru
room, his presence immed
ea
natu
arms. "You shouldn'
e said quiet
her up for
ettled be
awkw
omfor
.. ch
e shifted to
ll
playing t
lked
didn't
t kno
n the wrong place
e was so
ugh
surp
at caught h
thing like this b
answer i
he look
ly l
tested," he
ightened.
all
h
on what they w
help
di
Jos
frustration rising. "St
es hel
a
ea
nding you're not al
t h
part of
r understo
didn't kno
this?" she asked
said quietly, "you
h caught
use of t
e of how h
he kn
we
etween them
tentio
ndeni
me aware of i
prox
tens
had shifted not fr
hing
ing da
ied," she sa
out before she
didn't
t ste
end not to
es
le
av
e
re you here
t about the o
y both
ed her for a
aid, q
you didn'
est ti
not an
s," h
onest
ing close
ore than anythi
turned aw
ng the
her desk, grippin
orcing the conversation back to safer grou
odded on
ply. "You say that l
a
ow
her
h
y're not hid
chill down
inued. "Redirecting your atten
r's min
no
e
issin
mess
something
es
ha
gaze didn
ou
le
olu
ath, shaking her head slight
ave to," he s
y lights fli
ower hadn'
ce remai
ima
inti
she started,
't know what she
er more than anyt
ed close
ru
fo
. inev
thing," he said softly. "The co
oat tig
ink that's
said, "it's ex
lan
e it w
a mo
idn't
t def
't l
... stoo
small, ung
ing sh
hand move
touc
nough that
al
ossib
's breat
sli
h
s snapped
shattered
teppe
quic
pace betw
ding c
by p
," she said u
upward once, th
ble passed throug
it wa
d go home,
in tone
re
r nodde
sional
pos
a
ned toward
pau
ooking ba
. trust you
be
ly thing not be
he
oor c
o
na
d still for a
wly sat
screen st
age stil
han
t
ng felt
ne buzz
d it up t
ea
hesi
ans
ey
on the o
h
you o
oked around
he l
sc
do
the fi
know how to
t know," she
was a
r thi
said slowly, "what's
oat tig
yes d
o the
ing in the w
sudd
hought
ar
elc
ea
t i
about the co
ightened o
u back," she
ded th
back to t
ounding
this
from
reali
ow
ned a n
ed ty
the trail she
ing h
ind
se
oti
on in the gl
sli
ad looked cl
ht have
asn't
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