ood in th

e in the last hour. He looked like he hadn't slept - dark circles under hi

d at Adr

n a

ng in his f

enn

ame. Noth

ng stupid. Something

frame, arms crossed, smile eas

ov

ke

ghtened. "I'm n

or. In my building. Looking at my wife. So either you're here f

't belong

ears m

amian's voice was low. Dange

ore - at family dinners, at board meetings, in the corridors of the Ash

," I

them loo

ast Adrian, until I was standing in the d

t me for a

ta

n ta

to Adrian. "Not

k at all." I moved

ught it. Not forceful

e harder than

ford didn't ask for anything. He took what h

ht, soaked from the rain, looking at me like I

inutes,

ed around my wrist

him. "He's y

s a

d my arm free. "Five

d. For a second, I

steppe

id quietly. "Then I'm

-

ity lights sprawling behind us through the floor-to-ceiling wi

fferent," he

ns when someone ca

d. Actuall

erved

crossed my arms. "Why

uman gesture, so unlike the controlled, measure

n't stop thin

ut w

d. About the way you looked at me after." His v

u d

sed hi

screamed at me not to. "You had two years to see me. Tw

kno

of the whole world, you announced your engagement to someone else.

kno

saying

ng I can say. I can't undo it. I can't take it back. I can't-" He sto

n't a

what I said," h

led me t

thing I could think of th

red a

ha

nough that I could see the exhaustion

e'd had people dig up on you. Your mother's medical records. Your father's debts. Your apartment. Your life." His

dn't b

ispered. "There wa

oked

was f

landed l

shook my head

ive me. I'm not asking you to do anything. I just-" He exhaled. "I n

what w

His eyes met mine

Could see the faint scar above his eyebrow from a childhood accident he'd never told me about

me like I was the one who'

lling me this n

dn't

e I married y

N

en

hand hovered near my fa

I saw you walk into that room on h

behind

t through the mom

e's

-