la

gone on l

t, my mind was somewhere else entirely. Turning

ctly di

chair back

aid simply. "I need to pr

's voice was warm w

he faint smirk

other," I said plea

, lifting it and pressing his lips to my knuckles

aid. "Once we're married you won't

tired to res

le

th the engine idling, my hands

ey do the mo

rived before I

rner of the lot where the shadows swallowed the

n't ta

guage of two people who had stopped

rd through the glass

d his car, her hand rising to his che

and found

he way he had neve

n he ki

ainst the car door and kissed her like they had a

tened on the

once already, in another life, through a d

still

eek, the tightening in my throat. I touched my face an

ing? I asked my

n't made it sma

more. Of handing him pieces of my life and watching hi

hing, in the part of me that refused to s

meant s

ened the

he dark and watched the windows fog slowly and felt my tear

crying

that had loved him anyway. That had

ed that mu

of the corn

quiet and too small and too full of the life I had

tination I could cry loud

oned dump

nt and walked hurriedly down

e city had stopped maintaining years ago. Waste collected along the s

ame here

xactly why

er the moonlight, and finally when there was nothing l

e band from my hair and let it

hen I

certain nobody is watching; ugly and uncontrolled, my

I had quietly dismantled piece by piece to make r

how long I sta

heard f

my eyes a

tood a short

falling from the exertion. Sweat at his temples. No jacket. No briefcase.

n the one beach in the city that no

cou

xactly how I looked: red-eyed, hair everywhere, sitting in the sand of a du

his expression

arefully neutral. "Are you crying

on landed

thing filtered through the only lens he seemed to have for me. And now here I was, falling

weak. I wasn't having a b

h the grief and I spoke b

work related so I'd appreciate it i

he moment the wo

an Vale. On a beach. A

e reprimand. For the quiet precise dismantling

ing

ere in the darkn

said,

es a better job of offe

red a

was tha

deadline question had he said it deliberately

k silhouette, comple

understan

ver

and exhaled. "I-I'm so

le beside me in the

h that I could see his face clearly in the mo

goodne

rly, frustratingly handsome. Even sweaty

had spent three years

t the ocean. "I'm glad to know

y breath, "Like I

ead slightly, o

o hot. "I - sorr

inely the most awkward moment of m

d quickly, "y

s quiet. I sometimes try to help clear s

nced

t powerful fortunes in the country came to a neglected

the rewrite. I can't have a distressed employ

lled beach at night in his jogging clothes, exte

ou," I sai

ers, and looked down at me with that expressi

ong," he said sim

t another word, his figure disappearing into the

re a mome

a terrible joke. Had extended my deadline. Had told me no

what to do w

the ocean. Taki

ore and the strange interacti

e relu

stran