at Began to Fee

ld no longer deny she noticed when so

coming very good

t in a hurry, the office

lo

quie

.. he

der, fingers resting on the edge of the table, eyes fixed on

moment his phone buzzed, how his shoulders pulled tight, how

to the chair

t sleep,"

d. "Is it th

r pen like it perso

n and loosened h

ice. "Did something

hesi

ening. I just don't k

problem," Mira sai

exha

he lets himse

d with her.

. "I name them. I just

rived la

r tightening in her chest, the quiet disappo

on, phone in hand, eyes scannin

eyes

or a s

e a sm

was

smi

pau

e'll

ed back at

n appeared

free?"

p immediately. "I

. "That's

again the space that now held too

bbing the back of his neck. "I'm

defensively, just protectiv

at makes it sou

intentional to be con

"I didn't plan

ftly. "That doesn't s

e pres

demand things from me," Rowan sai

a no

t asking

feel like I'm fail

holding space in my life without k

tened. "That

her head.

oked

o lose what thi

is?" she as

dn't

ernoon d

her desk twice w

ticed bo

again, hoping again that Rowan would walk o

d her shoulder. "Yo

ng w

ithout adm

small smile. "I

red," Mira said. "

sky was cle

li

tu

ehind her, breath slightl

" she

," he said. N

no

lence for a block

w to do this hal

her in or

tightened. "

pped w

I'm standing

rdest place to

u," he

of us," sh

ply. "You don't

ed to be easy," she said. "Bu

licted. "I don't know

"Then don't promise

ing anything,"

problem,"

ace between them wider t

ter now. "If I ask you to

him carefully.

en why does it feel li

," she said honestly. "An

uth lan

t to lose yo

like something that w

d at her

mean to,"

do," she

t, Rowan

te

ll

he screen before

id quietly. "D

eplied. "I

n han

e said. "Wh

"I don't know how to keep yo

r eyes. "Then

he said. "I've

be unlearned,

ys sound

d. "I don't want to feel like I'm a

le

hat you are t

w me," sh

her

w if I can,"

ce stayed steady. "Then be

m ho

d. "Sometimes you lea

ions for everything,"

eed. "But you

Rowan didn't

ticed be

ped pretending she was

ime, his face was drawn, eyes darker th

hed him, t

you'd be gone,"

know I w

ing familiar,

ruptly. "Ca

" she

d. "Before I

tairwell again, tens

to be what you n

I don't want

aid softly. "Just don

ned hi

hone

ai

screen, expression

to tak

crack not loudly, not drama

e steady but strained,

plain,"

ways sa

ped bac

more, Elira realized the

t an accid

s a p

she could keep standing in th