iented, blinking against the sun. For a split second, she thought she w

dark paneling o

. The church. The dress

were open now. The hospital bed was empty. The sheets we

s. The house was silent, the dust sheets she hadn'

tchen. He was placing a plate

ogies. The toaster is malfunctioning and the bu

gourmet cook, but Julian had o

t. It scratched the roof of her mouth. "It's fine, H

s in the library

get my things from the apartment. Before..."

ting behind a massive mahogany desk, readin

drive you?" he asked. Hi

her purse. "I need to do t

with pity when she arrived. She ignored him

ened t

re everywhere. Bryce had evidently

throwing books into it. Her hands

t door u

la f

ie was loose, his eyes bloodshot. In his han

d when he

dropped his keys. "Baby.

ipped up the suitcase. "I'm here

rabbed her arm. He shoved the newspaper in

the City Clerk's office, taken from across the street. The head

tment," Bryce rambled, ignoring the paper n

m. Then she looked at his face. The

he said, her voice terrifyi

an't survive in this city without me. I heard you went off with tha

sharp, flooded

the man you a

. "He's broke! You'll be begg

nto a hug, a possessiv

ase on the entry table. It

m, using the leverage point she had learned in a

a box. He looked shocked. Stel

aid. The words hung in the air.

pale. "You married t

ut of

She marched past him, her h

d after her as she reached the do

door. The sound e

her legs trembling so hard she almost slid t

tim, anymore. She was Stella Ste