lmost Said and

above all else he retreated

lowly, painfully, one unf

felt colder

faded, her hand still hovering near the railing

t should have, loud enough t

nt to keep

head without an ending

ence hanging in the air

her ten min

peeking into the stairwell. "

lowly. "Sorry.

Elira usually gave other people. "You look like s

ed. "Somethin

nt to talk

r head gentl

ting the boundary.

Elira sa

he day passed

t come back

ass by the

't look

iced ever

ipped again and again. She packed her bag slowly when the office began to empty, hopi

did

walked home instead of taking the bus, he

her phone st

cked it

n

ic

times t

late and

Rowan arrived be

he top of a blank page. He hadn't slept much either. The weigh

d one and the fear of what came after s

in, he felt it b

but something about her felt guarded now, like

n st

he said

, then tur

as polite.

an apolog

wa

d. "I shouldn't have said so

ay," she said softl

anded with

d. "You'

retched be

n to confuse

ayed steady. "I

sed him. "Y

were honest. And th

tened. "That

. "You don't have to explain yourself, Rowan

looked and saw the quiet st

clarity," he sai

arity," she said. "I

slowly. "An

f it,"

n't de

talk much

ced each othe

d by the way Elira took notes, her brow fu

ed lightly when he was thinking too har

d closer to Elira. "You

a si

a moment. It

"Those are

, Rowan found Elira

talk?" h

ed. "Abo

hen corrected himself.

ed, then no

e familiar path carryin

to lead you on

't," Elir

want to h

on't di

gh his hair. "You m

n't easy,"

t's ho

alking. "I'm

ened, but she n

u d

" she

n from the

tay?" he as

t his

ho you are when y

g shifte

me doesn't stay

iate him while he

llowed

me again th

the awning, not a

to wait for me," R

iting," Eli

u a

ook he

choos

sing

said. "Until I d

s dang

o?" she

r y

u don't get to protect

thout humor. "You're s

y. "You underesti

as rain filled

t, Rowan

I say too

red at th

You sai

pa

that doesn'

yped

. But not enou

ne down, heart he

assed with car

orkday, Rowan stopp

d. "If I cross

f you pull awa

intly. "You

he said.

hing fragile and unname

his mouth t

hone

ade his expression change instantly, should

go," he s

" she

already stepping back.

she

asn't p

in, faster this time, a heavy un

owan away was stronger

how many more almost