y apartment was heavi

if I had suddenly sp

dy to strangle

d capacity for depth struggling to pr

ly?" Dante asked, his voice l

held high. "You want your annulment? You want y

d of a heart attack. The report you think you have

ulterated

ce, without a distinct shred o

steady despite the trembling in my

hate Sofia," he countered smoothly. "You're

tally incompetent. We won't even need

froze in

ed room and drug me until I couldn't remember m

d at the

cond-story

ee armed bodygua

ntly. Survival was the onl

I let the fire die in my e

the scratched sur

n," I w

sion leaving his frame

aid. "It's for

carefully summoned tear-filled eyes. "You're

, pushing the pe

pen. It felt h

name. *Ele

e last

ed, tossing her hair. "N

checking the signature. He

is eyes. Only relief tha

the allowance,"

. "I don't want y

your

y l

felt holl

r. I pushed the

I grabbed my

number I ha

They think I'm broken.

ther end, rough like sandpaper. "The boat leav

awl if I

ante called m

creen, the glowin

ldn't

eded to

nsw

nk. "I just... I wanted you to kn

e cold. "You chose this way wh

nto anger. "It was an accident! Or... or maybe your

ou know the truth. You just do

k!" he shouted, his bravado fa

day, when she turns on you-and she

na,

ung

card out and sn

e phone in

ed through the neigh

el Vitiello soldier

saw

nod. They

them

ing drawings on the street. From

nte really upgraded with

ught. *She has

a boy I had once tuto

at my worn sneakers

wenty-dollar bill

ring. "Get yourself a sandwi

d at th

pass algebra, the boy I had once

co," I said. "I

rself, cr

ll at my feet a

e, letting the

ck to the

e of clothes. My sketchboo

her's

e keys on

lked

't loo

sing an electronics store, I saw a

casting live fr

was

on on

s of people. In fron

t my mother's sapphire. A

roposing

amplified by towering speakers. "Y

kissed him, playing

owd ch

he screen, exploding in

nd propose to his mistress merely 48 hours

e ultimat

he perfe

mil

ifying smile that d

spered to the screen. "Because I'm

inst the biting wind and

t Elena

the