THE SPACE BETWEEN US

rt slowly, so that no

cking the time wh

ity guard two floors down, and a spreadsheet I no longer had the

ce. Then twice.

ija

nded br

of the house. Can

ice. No soft prelude of excuse or

re you?"

de. Wa

say much a

hts blinked on auto-pilot. Restaurants buzzed with Friday laughter

as loose, messy, like she hadn't planned this. Or maybe sh

he quieter roads that wrapped around the

with arguments and too quiet with loneliness. The water didn't fix an

hed the end of the pier, where the boa

ees up to her chest. I stood a few fe

u're living someone else'

I wasn't sure s

auditioning for, and now the script is locked

besi

. "More often

aniel, he was warm. Kind. Poor, but full of dreams

ice wa

erything. And I

it me like

d. "Not really. Not the me I've grown into. Just

the way she touched her ring absentmindedly when she was anxious, or

I di

sound like betrayal-

-

sn't uncomfortable. It pu

hick with sal

ely audible over the wind.

oat we

this?"

t blink.

ed. "I

n an

t. I co

ing and the last thing before sleep? That your loyalty is beginning to split like ice under p

o hurt anyone,"

"You think we're no

out and touc

quite intimate. N

go," she

e didn

ither

o blocks from their apartment-her req

. Trying to convince mys

h we tell ourselves

eady losing t

orning, Da

come by the hou

ened. "Sure. E

st wanted to run some ideas

felt like a blade

answered

Or maybe she didn't. M

id, like my name

me. Said somethi

ght. "Right. Of

e framed wedding photo on the side table. Him in a navy tux. Her in

n a cast iron pot. "You're early," he said chee

smile and

s weirdly

conversation while my insides screamed. It felt like being cast in a p

el leaned back and said, "Yo

sed halfway

d her wine. "

d easily. "I'm glad

cation wa

phasis mad

"Daniel, did you tell Elija

nsion. I listened, nodded, added insight where nece

her leg brushed mine under the table. The way trust,

on my shoulder. "You're like family,"

odd

hing in m

as already

days passed

y. But there were emails. Office moment

t it wou

e thing

n the dark, fed by

the night

at you

ment we fi

we nearly did-a

. She came by the office "on her way from a gallery." Her lips

said, standing

st

ide. Closed the

ank to a single b

ing company. That night at the dock.

nocked the

epped

know it's wrong. I kno

rd. "Then why

nd for the first time,

't want to kee

th

kiss

desperate. Fierce. Hungry with a

issed h

e seco

ed away. He

n't,"

glassy. "We

ed and w

he taste of guilt and longi

t, I didn

iling and counted

a poor defense

denied too long,