Chapter 6 THE INK DRIES
nbuttoned, eyes darker than usua
didn'
't com
me like he was trying to read eve
out fast,
eded s
kno
t like he
e unde
a rainy street with me crying in front of
ed to my hands, st
ld," he sai
fi
re sha
oked
mn
nched m
"I don't need you
ing to fix e
pau
. somet
t word, so lightly that I a
ving a careful space between us
t, we just
iet
iou
e sai
gn because yo
agreed. "
d because of
n't an
tinued
se you thin
d; I turned
er said
dn't ha
s wer
o
sed them in his head b
at the street ins
hink I left bec
ed in slowl
is more complic
re i
of the
e never
under my anger and g
rt pou
hispered. "Tel
ghtened on
ton
est dr
ys,
with something like guilt. "Because o
hit like
rt of me a
ady fe
of the truth, even if
d to m
al
op
ard
gave me stole the
u're not ready fo
scaped me before
alked away," I said. "How much w
answered
wor
itel
is unspoken confession pressing h
Because I had no choice. Because my family needs me. Because
lin
ly fli
rust you,"
hroat b
know
wait forever for answers t
es dr
he whispered. "
owing the frustration rising in my
jaw cle
because I saw pain flash through
igh
ract, this year... I'm
nodde
e said quietly, "becaus
enough for me to hea
you more
ped
d to g
ose wi
take
N
fro
ced a
ight," I said. "An
dn't a
st no
ow
ghtfu
printing my w
row, t
ned
street, his voice reached me
eec
au
" he said, "the truth is worse
llowed
dn't loo
coul
ad turned around
en the man I
was forced
history I wasn
t y
tonig
truth still lived like
life-altering choice, when the worl
no
ovem
the decision you
me long after I walked a
nger cooled into s
rything had already change
ilence followed me right
day, the i
, not regret, not unspoken his
g Tower,
loor with a soft chime that sounded ent
out into the marble ha
h
holding his phone loosely at his side. His posture was straight, controlled, every inch
nsion in h
asn't b
was
sing me, h
, sharp, dark, unreadable, and
ed his phone away a
ee
ng," I
wide hallway, sunlight stretching b
hether I'd slept, whether I'd eaten, whether I was
asn
anding, so th
ward the con
re wa
he
lawy
not
witn
ur signatures into a legally
awled dow
from
fin
he Confe
ooked diff
I was di
ly executed contract. Several pens arranged neatly. A notary with a
a chair
sita
or a he
n I
rday, but still leaving a polite distance between us. A
cleared
res. Once complete, both parties will initial each pag
ach tig
h p
ry l
use Rhys i
ate r
ntima
hick enough
ction that
about to make all
passed me th
, heavy and expensive,
t the bottom o
CE
handwr
y dec
d as I touched the
h of ink felt l
he first initial,
e
ns t
. Carefully. Each initial felt li
Rhys was
eel his attent
over
.. th
ch
it
g witn
oom arrangement, separate rooms, locked door
nd tre
cause
reminder of everything we once were,
not
se he
ped low, meant
renegotiate tha
do
d through
ece
I whispered. "
lanced up at
went
y st
said n
hing left to say tha
way T
egan to ache a
lank, but she didn't miss the
aybe the
us without se
w every
ingers, he slid a glass of
ple g
t intimate thing al
ok a
my hands, n
ng me wasn't allowed,
ou," I m
once, j
ratitude he
the s
sn't supposed
Fina
age nearl
use of t
for my signature waited
na
t binding
one
tab
survi
thing ex
se and fell
heavier th
d before I touch
was
nd of
of something e
ign
ow
ful
ul
hing inside me shifted, like a
I'd stepped into a
e b
urned the do
fingers, steady, control
his
n't stead
y signature for
lo
was memor
still couldn't b
ned benea
ERLING
was sharp, deliber
the pen
p of the last
ackle fill
sh
urr
ctr
niab
se
t f
us, like something ancient wak
smiled prof
The agreement is
ratul
just won
look away f
her
aper wasn't ju
as a
ebi
tlefi
beneath my ribs,
t the end
of a story neither of u
erw
yone
shuffling. Lawyers packi
d I remain
the sam
us is cooling l
lifted his
came out l
s d
odd
Ye
ece
eart s
use of t
the way h
o
a
me meant so
lowed t
ou al
uld'v
've said
ract didn't
honest
hispered. "
aw c
eant he wanted to reach f
ween us suddenl
hysi
iona
him was sitting on the tip of a k
something I d
ther
ords we
te
st br
led sh
er opened
rt you both
eld up
us a m
ers step
illed the r
Heavy.
down at
oked
errifying seco
ight've ruled
't kill what l
ried it un
were alre
dy cr
contain everything
haled
ie
pered, almo
ink i
talking abou
alking
the fi
he year
we were both st
e I lost the
hou
ose
't walk a
ehind
ked be
ere alrea
act wasn't mad
the power to ch
it alrea
y eyes f
f I look
feel anything b
ctly what w
uld never h
ink w
hing el
t u
ur h
ting between the
e wors
deep in my
me whispered that I w
of what it
I unlocked the door and stepped inside with the weight of a si
't the space t
it w
thin thread, fear, duty, resentment, memories, and now t
licked shu
cho
reed
e-entered it like a storm th
he ceramic bowl by the do
ispered to m
ck
o
pa
ow, I will move
would say go
its wheels squeaking in protest. I unzipped it and began folding clothes mec
i
an
ate
ea
the,
ned the
andle the
into the suitcase, ignorin
t ready fo
o
o
trolle
nei
deli
ne who did
slammed i
h
no
truth, moving me toward the door
ene
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