ia

tuffed it with cotton and regre

finitely not my pillow. My eyes open slowly and the first thing I saw

fr

s. Expensive furniture that looked untouched. The air smelled faintly of clean linen

. Br

tly regretting it when my

tered, pressing my f

es were placed neatly near the couch. My purse sat on t

elped.

lowly, testing myself. Dizzy but uprigh

d s

radually. The bar. The

se to m

e. The way he looked at me like he was amused but not mocking. Like he saw

to stop drinking when

d calls from Ethan. Of course not. He was probabl

it had last night. It sat in my chest

gre

card tucked unde

Drink the water. Lea

e. No

t. There was no threat in it. N

man," I

Which somehow m

I did not linger. Whatever this place was, it was not mine. I had no interest

contact with staff who already see

, slicing through the haze in my head. I flag

o

artment. M

ke nothing had gone wrong in the world. The house sat proudly behind them, white st

he first time s

iet weekend sounds. Footsteps. Soft

tted me im

said warmly. "You

ied, forcing a sm

. He asked not to be disturbed but

id quickly. "I

riosity but said nothing. The staf

offee in the other, glasses perched low on his nose. He lo

aid. "You lo

I replied, dropping into

et down. "Where

ot

w lifted.

"One of th

narrows it down

ed sugar until it looked accep

pened slightl

n che

his full

friend,

ck slowly. "

smi

father did not explode. He never did. He simply absor

d finally. "And

es

oo

e. No threats spoken o

need a few days to clean my apa

"She will not be the

aintly. "I

more closely this tim

honestly. "Not

thing. You look like

t that d

he replied dryly. "You cried be

experience," I said. "

mile appeared.

arts next we

"Do not r

chose

k," I corrected.

were never good wi

aid. "Machines make se

uld wor

d. "No. I need

hat easily. H

ad changed. Same furniture. Same faint scent of lavend

way the last of the hangover. As I dresse

documents are still incomplete

t, irritation

ped

ed last Thursday.

red. Disappeared

iew and get

led m

Too many passive aggressive emails. Too many people who smiled to yo

nto the bed and flo

Luca. To the way he had looked at me

now if I would e

ely, that

They existed to remind you that the w

sed m

ould come s

w, I w