known silence

avernous room a monument to distance. She wandered its halls like

one knew how to speak to the brid

buried in work until well past midnight. When he was home, the atmosphere

Ice House in her head. A pl

alone in a dining room

nnequin, smiling for photos while his hand hover

a name. Bu

rare thunders

glass walls when Adrian entered unexpectedly. He looked tire

't spoken

ill awake?

d. "Could

her sketchpa

said quietly. "

g, but he didn

ng his face. For the first time, she saw somethi

fight it?" he

nked. "Fi

ge. Being us

thudding. "Would it have

dn't

think I wanted this life? That I dreamed of ma

't ask

nd choice," she snapped. Her voice

tiff

r now. "I tried. For two years, I tr

You want me to lie? Pret

d. "I want you to

enc

the door clicking shut

ry long after the storm passe

e had never