The Bracelet He Bought For Two

her eardrums like deep water. She stared at the plate in front of her. The truffle risotto, Jere's absolute favorite, had gone cold hours

n her phone for the fi

x, the wicks drowning in their own melt. It was quiet. Too quiet.

stagram, her thumb moving automatically, scrolling mindlessly to distract herself from the

one with no profile picture and a generic hand

hitched. She t

as a single slice of cake with a candle, the flame blurring slightly in the capture. But it wasn't the cake

laid in white: Finally back wher

h with a distinctive navy dial. She knew that watch. She had spent six months tracking it down for Jere as a wedding g

eniably Je

day wasn't just a late night at the office. Today wasn't a bo

tling her. A text message from Jer

in negotiations

lt a cold numbness spread from her chest outward, freezing her limb

ound that echoed in the vast room. She grabbed the plates to clear the table, her movements jerky and agitated. S

ne glass tipped over, rolling off the edge of th

pick up the shards. She wasn't thin

iece of crystal slice

hick, dripping onto the pristine white

rn. But there was nothing. She realized with a detached horror that she felt absolutely no physical pain.

wound, watching the blood swirl into pink ribbons and disappear down the drai

e gauze tightly around her palm, pulling it until the pressure wa

ng in a kitchen that cost more than most people earned in a lifetime, waiting for a man who

disposal. She flipped the switch. The disposal ground loudly, a mechani

ace feeling vast and cavernous. She didn't change into pajamas. She just curled up on her side of the massive king-si