ll blame me if anyt

ay, the kind of weight that comes from living through moments like this, not

ked straig

Not around him

to blame you," she

stood there, still, watching her. It felt deliberate, like h

" he said. "It doesn't. Not af

ded otherwise. The crowd acted like they'd gone back to their mourning, but she kne

n them,"

n ever

n gate, just for a second, then looked

as just

mped once in

want from m

thi

s not

more like recognition. Like she'd caught him o

" he said. "Most

le weren't

er wer

d. "No, I

or empty, just there, filling the space, a

ot bold or shy. Just searching, as if he was tryi

lse st

r name,"

saying it out loud suddenly felt like ha

e said. "Elo

ly, almost testing t

ike he was rolling it around in his hea

ow?" sh

et her eyes again. Quick, almost accidental, bu

said, "you

tryin

your

eyebrow. "Mi

ou

t, more than anything, ma

is arm gently, f

ssi

e was wa

. Eloise

needed to shout. Her black coat hung just right, everything about her neat and

n's sleeve. Not like she

u," she said softly. "She's

m f

. But she won't believe me u

loise. They soft

ren't troubling

blinked

ir manners when they're grieving. Curiosity wins out o

ke, quieter

was his

ust settled i

't have to sound so

stayed

ck to Eloise.

o last name

g it. "It's kind of you to come today. Not

er voice made Eloise's

eserved that muc

mile warmed

s. She just looked like a mother making sure he

n kept his ey

tracted pat before letting go. A gesture so n

"I shouldn't keep you

olite nod. "It was

u t

turned, already offering that same gentle sympathy

atched h

as his

rsh. Not suspicio

rs slowly relax, almost

Cassian said qu

im. "You keep t

keep igno

to back away-one

ad. The air felt colder over here, thinner too, like she'd

bbed her wrist from the side and yanked her hard into