g lot felt

se of the

use o

d neatly behind his back. His presence didn't need vol

," he repe

ve away from A

did st

Da

wa

rebe

recogn

d to Aria briefly. Assessi

t c

or

rat

ing your evenings at public hos

m ton

t of s

eant this wasn't

eating space between her and Le

o," she said q

not le

is your

e-" He stop

t y

ather

presume," Mr. More

nodded

s, s

was... an incident at

urse h

e him al

led," Leo s

eyes flicked

recorded in

m aw

consider t

jaw tig

der it ne

r grew

lt it im

t just abou

as abou

ut l

t con

d closer, lowering

attach your name to every cri

h your

elp so

pport a

h your

ething sting b

o anything," Leo replied ca

blic

Ye

h cam

his fath

Ye

etween them wa

as po

fin

gles beneath tailored suits

tti exhal

all from the boa

idn't

ion of that university," his father continued. "Y

ped back a

ndat

ndi

oa

f Leo's worl

to do with the fo

thing to do wi

len

ti's gaze shift

mother

stion wa

sympa

swal

Ye

espiratory

omach d

Ye

s if confirming a

facilities under private con

urned

on'

etti ign

navigating treatment optio

dv

t o

t g

ruc

ste

ions un

heat rise i

said carefully.

es flicke

ll m

en

udied her for

ecognize

l," he sai

ned bac

n minutes. Then y

n't a r

didn'

stay

s expression

r expects yo

is not the

pau

ub

ha

ring his voice so only Leo could

onal entan

iabili

rary distr

spine st

mpo

trac

odged somewh

ame quieter no

ot a dist

ze hardened almo

on't kn

ce exp

he

etti ste

minutes,"

the car withou

ine didn

as wa

xhaled

d go," she

ooked

hear

Ye

An

e's not

t him more tha

this is a

"you have a life built on stab

you

a small, t

No

esty land

hair, frustration finally br

I care abo

I think you care about yo

nd

hesit

being the reason yo

ared a

not your

problem when I

ice did

it tr

er can solve this with a phone call. With a si

An

an't acce

Wh

it won't

uth hun

d his mout

n st

e wasn't en

nothing moved w

out t

rosity had

epped

id carefully, "it won't

n't prom

ca

inst your

r headlights

ent re

im

nced bac

n at

is permission to

were quiete

defe

e ce

breath

ar

curio

int

ar

was da

d respond, her p

check

went

Wh

the screen

losure

l war

moved up the r

wasn't just about t

about th

r h

xpressio

isive clicked

uch?" h

on'

much,

St

t about pri

is to

oice c

lost the house

d she ha

epped f

ok a

idn't

tilted her

weak for ne

inked r

weak," she whispered. "I

rds stu

wn

at she thoug

sess

igat

ntr

ine started

r t

s t

ing tick

de a de

impul

emoti

cula

said slowly, "where you get stabili

fro

does th

he clarified quick

rt began

en w

dn't a

t f

idea was st

was th

le

ha

nge

d give her security

d give him proximity

ontr

horn soun

l war

tepped

y-four hours,"

r wh

fix t

pulse

Ho

ld her

s you can

d t

nd walked to

r under the

reclosur

cal b

eling that whatever he

hange ev