oke up

she didn't kno

webs in the plaster. The light filtering

sheet of newspaper taped over

into her like a

The apart

a frantic rhythm in her ch

l lo

ath she didn't kn

till in the wedding dress. The tulle

lt rid

re mattress. She needed

fel bag-the only thing s

ite t-shirt

ith the tiny buttons at the back. When the heavy f

ulling her hair back i

ded to

or slowly, wincing

ng room

s folded neatly on the sofa. The ai

n table, there was

ked ove

n black ink. The handwrit

touch

ked aroun

l boxes. They looked like computer parts, or maybe radio

mach ti

Was he fencin

t to know. Plausible deniability. Th

est of th

was messy. Dust motes

It was a nervous tic. When

in the narrow clos

rted sw

od calmed her nerves. She organized the few magazines o

o pick up a stray piece of li

fr

stood

th the sleeves pushed up and bas

been

eighborho

ooked at the broom in her h

dark eyebro

hire a mai

is heel. He was carrying two brown paper b

he table and d

at

somethin

broom and caught i

wrapped in fo

he coffees-black, no sugar, she could

t like you

anie made Keira'

ha

wouldn't know which end of a broom to

mocki

arm bagel tighter,

s clean," she

his cup. His eyes were too sh

a step t

e room seemed

ules straight, P

up three

eight. You pay half the rent

to demand access to her trust fund (

e said. "T

a nanosecond, then his e

hores. I don't coo

in

smell the sweat on him, and the coffee

about my past. I don't ask about your f

ira said i

past. She didn't want to know wh

oo

own and pulled his

away, but not

is abs, the V-line disa

"Don't steal the silverware while I

red into th

pipes groaned, and t

r was loud in the sma

d at the ba

eeded

om door where the Vera

depo

e two-thousand-dollar deposit back. That w

into the

into the garment bag.

the living room just as

billow

stepp

ed low around his hi

is chest hair, sliding do

ching the garment

ent hot. B

. He didn't cover up

er, then at the mas

somew

his," Keira stammered. "

what was inside. A dress that cost mo

sperate to ret

ered in his eye

id. "Don't let

he apartment, her heart

ked shut, Jonah

e table and pic

led a

manding tone of a CEO. "Pull the financials on t

e was crackly. "Why?

at the door where Keira had just run out. "She