ie

silence. It was the kind of qui

round my shoulders. The ocean was a slate gray, battering the rocks bel

d out, balancing two mugs of coffee. Steam

He just handed me a mug and per

the ribs?

"The bruising is

the h

l att

l for the last week. He had driven me here, stocked the fridge, and seemingly tak

I said, blowing on my coffee. "I'm

ing because the coffee here

ia

aying because I don't trust

ad lost weight. My rings-if I were still wearin

ting,"

t count as a

an was the only person who didn't look at me with pity. He l

wooden table between us, vi

Chloe had it. She was the leak in my submar

hloe,"

ve to answer,

, she would call the local police.

," I

ce was breathless. "

a

Okay? Promise me y

just s

rcus. An

elt a phantom pain in my ankle, right w

ked. My voice sounded f

. "It's all over Page Six. It

ess than a month since the elevator accident. Less than a mo

me," I

ant to know

ll

ut the botanical gardens in Brooklyn. Y

go there with me for our first ann

loe continued. "And he hired a private cell

*. Izzy loved

ring?"

... he gave her a Chanel bag. A vintage one. Apparent

sed m

rivate concerts

proposal. It wa

cus had followed the script perfectly. Every time he chose her, he wa

st leave me.

commercial break between the epi

oe asked. "A

ere,"

said. "I shouldn'

eeded to

ear the traffic of New York in the backg

g," Chloe said. Her vo

ha

mni Gala is

dry, cracking sound.

Ellie. Marcus. Izzy. They're goi

for

they win. They get to tell the story. They get to say

roken,

jured. There's

ely, his gray eyes unreadable. He knew who

il," Chloe said. "I forwarded it to

ung

suddenly felt heavy

s?" Juli

engaged

prised. He nodded

chids," I said. "

rs for *you*,"

s didn't lack the capacity for romance. He

hest. It wasn't heartbreak. It was

fe. I had made myself small so he would have more r

be the villain in

There it was. The invitation. G

ordially i

same place where Izzy had staged

ed at

to the Alumni Gala t

offee down. "Do

said imm

n do

t the screen, "I'm just the ex-wife wh

tter what t

pered. "It ma

be the victim. I wanted to look them in the eye. I want

al. Because if it was real, the

blanket fell f

oing,"

out of it. He didn't tell me it was a bad id

," he

to me. He reached out and fi

" he said, "you'r

y hand. My grip tightened until the

ral for my past. And I intended to

ed 'Ac