Antonella stared at their joined hands, her heart aching

ly sat there, his thumb brushing absent circles

r voice again, small and ra

the water, the way it rippled lazily

me. Being

in his eyes, something battered but unbroken. "Becaus

es behind that simple answer-stories he wasn'

t

not

ow, that

from her body piece by piece. The sounds of the city-horns, shouting, the endless, relentless n

ften?" she asked, h

I need to remember there's more to

y. "You don't strike me

ce low, almost self-depreca

comfort in the mutual understanding between them: the aware

, and neither of them seemed i

shifted in his

quiet. Antonella hesitated for a beat, then followed, the chilly air biting at her cheeks. Ja

around herself and trailed after hi

standing perfectly still,

e said, "You don't have t

me on his lips sent a

know me," s

she didn't even realize she still had up. "Maybe not," he said quietly. "Bu

tightened

re," she confessed, the words to

wding her, not forcing her-but close enough that she

d, voice rough. "You're bru

ath her feet, and she blinked

ing a strand of hair away from her face wi

ut of here,"

unable to tr

e, the kind of silence between them tha

toward the city

ut weighted.

r body relaxed in a way she hadn't thought possible. Every now and then, Jason

ing ca

ng prot

chest tightened. Reality waited for her among t

t she didn't want to

brownstone building tucked away on a quiete

apar

e her stomach twist

. He turned toward her, his expression

spare him the wreckage waiting inside

ybe it was the memory of the way he had stood beside her at the

ust tired of doing

she said, her voice ba

r gloat or act like

d and turned

er keys, her hands trembling slightly. When the door swung

exactly as sh

he mantle. The half-finished puzzle on the coffee table. T

inside the doorway, h

her. He simply stood close enough that she co

alone," he s

simple words that c

or, pressing her hands to her face as silent sobs racked

her from behind-steady, unyieldi

. Didn't tell her i

her while s

und the faint, tentative outlines of

eng

with trembling fingers. Jason still hadn't moved, hadn'

she whisper

d, genuine confusio

being

ly to face him, his hands war

y. "Hell, it's human. Anyone who made you fe

him, stunned by the fi

t just s

eant

kage of the life she thought she wanted,

is wasn'

was the b

me grand

t

omething

hing

hing

y when she carefully placed the framed photos face down or when she

st st

d low through the windows, casting go

was even again, until the worst o

he paused at the door, his ha

ber," he said qu

, her throat too

, then simply tipped his head in a small, re

him and leaned her forehead agai

orever, the apartment d

a space she c

y fragi

neath all the fear and anger and sorrow,

o

rrifying, beautiful possi