na Viti

en hours or days. I just knew that the numbness had crept

atch shattered the silen

inding. I squeezed my eyes shut,

hallway lights. He stepped inside, the click of his dress shoes echoing off the s

ees pulled to my chest, blue-li

repented?"

g off the cold metal. I lo

e. I saw the absolute, terrifying

e screamed the truth one last time-th

red. So incr

s barely a whisper, shredded

t?" he pressed,

ring. "I was wrong to love you. I was

t wasn't the answer he expected, bu

," he c

ignal, but my legs refused t

d down and hauled me up by my good arm. His grip was

orgue, away from the smell

g me once we were in the warmer corridor.

ed to say, leaning again

aving no room for argument. "Is

room, using the wall

was raw, trying to wash away the chill of the morgu

d out, I look

full

ness crushed him. The dried rose from the time he visited me in the hospi

heavy-duty

t it a

he crumbling rose petals. The diary

leared the shelves wit

, avoiding the staff, and took the b

t up and t

vy, final thud among

re you

e. A

zzi out front. He looked at the dumpster. He saw the silver frame of a photo sticking

y, the mask of the Capo

voice flat. "Just ta

crackling in the air. "Dante, come on. I need to get

the filth. For a second, he looked unsettled,

way... everything?

ng space,

r w

ife with

d back inside befo

f gold and velvet, a display of Morett

ong-sleeved black dress-high-necked and severe-to h

s looking a

ra. A literal

her, beaming with pride, ignoring

e, his voice booming, "we celebrate not just my d

red to t

In his tuxedo, under the chan

black velvet box

gasped co

pene

ght the light, fracturing

peakers, smooth and commanding. "Will you make me

apping her hands over

kissed him. The crowd erupted in chee

ched

palms until I felt th

inal nail in

ngaged to the woman

the ghost haunt

have one

walk thro

is looking, th