waiting to be called on. The machines around them hummed with eerie precisio

e. Shadows made him look older somehow. She searched for a twitch, a

re was

now. Too still. Like someone had drained the color right out of him and forgott

eed adjusting. Her hands needed something to do. They still re

hat g

A low burn behind her ribs that didn't feel like shame so much as...

t he represented. This endless script she was supposed to follow. The right thin

rent touch. The way David had pulled her i

betrayal. But it hadn't

of everything she'd lost. But her body wouldn't cooperate. All it remembered was David's m

s loved her ge

d ha

elt important. She couldn

smell of coffee and antiseptic. Victoria offered a quick excu

d her like a warning. But it felt bette

None of them slowing down. No one looking back. That was what scared her m

hone

vi

ght? 7. I'l

on. Of cours

nger than she should have. R

i

ea

u

ca

k

just one

e nothing away. And right

black, impersonal. The driver nodded once, said her na

there. Of course he was. Reclined like he owned the s

her. Odd, that. It th

ame,"

ing into the seat before he could

amber, slow burning. Hers tasted like g

while. She watched the lig

t to see me?" sh

ng to figure her out. Like she was a ridd

ak, then paused. His phone

sibly, not really. But somethi

this," he said

inked.

alking away. "I'

tes. Ten.

bell. She could feel the eyes of the waitstaff drift towards her, polite, fleeting, but unmistakably cur

ugh places unnoticed. Women tried to orbit him like he was gravity it

iculous relief she hated herself for. He was hold

me up. We'll ta

dismissal, like canceling a meeti

he turned

ross from her still held his shape. Her glass sat untouched. The conden

t it, eyes, again. Pitying, amused, indifferent. They wer

ed her chin. Walked to the elevator as

indows in long, wet ribbons. She watched her reflection in the gla

m. That would have meant she sti

felt wa

t before. No, if anything, that part still clung to he

sitting there like she mattered, and watc

ver have done

answered her phone. Ryan, who brought her flowers for no reason, who memorized her co

Or at least explaine

hadn't even

into her palms. Anger built slowly, curling aro

hy. This e

. Why she had walked into his world wi

d didn't get to destr

ut blinking. And now he was doing i

e had

m

ook at her differently. Not with

ake sur

r naturally, then she'd drag him to that

anted, and then when he trusted

as the

lways been

d

n still ached for him. That somewhere, buried bene

the wor

lan. Not

of her that

had proved something she didn't want to admi

t

he wo