volving door. He moved with the ease of someone who had memorized this building's floor
now this rout
tt glanced back, a half-smile that didn't reach his eyes
eyes, magnified behind thick lenses, moved between them with the practiced skept
d. "And your license appl
they had both signed after a tense, silent review on a marble bench. The clerk's eyebrows ros
d, looking directly at Evangelina. "Are you
lights hummed overhead. Somewhere behind her, a
covered hers
essing against her knuckles. She turned her head and found his eyes waiting
d to the clerk. His voice carried a tender
er lips into shape.
pproval with a satisfying thud. "Through the door,
int chemical scent from the air freshener plugged into the wall outlet. The judge stood b
ther, please
ing with cedar, something that reminded her of winter forests and old libraries. He took her h
The phrases floated past Evangelina's ears, abstract and enormous, complet
u have
le
her cheeks. Of course they di
. He reached into his jacket pock
s robes. It was an elegant, vintage-inspired piece with a flawless, but not ostentatious, diamond. The setti
alue was significant, but it was the craftsmanship that was stagge
"Intended for... a different circumstance. The sentiment is gone, but the ob
But the judge was waiting, and Barrett was sliding th
knuckle as he adjusted the setting, and Evangelina felte judge, his tone easy, conversational. "We'l
by the State of New York, I now pronounce y
hadn't considered this. Hadn't pre
. His nose grazed her cheekbone, a whisper of cont
pressure of a seal
gelina's lungs rememb
s printed side by side in formal script. Evangelina stared at the document, at t
tt folded his certificate into his breast poc
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