light, floral scent that was just her-still hung in

assed. Th

ss?" Zane asked, graspi

es

. The tension

s is all my fault. All of it. Please... don't blame Jovi.

lief. "It always comes back to her, doesn't it? How f

st," he said, as if tha

and quiet. "Friendship? When you were wi

the wheel. "That's a

s here to help you through it for months. We built a life, Zane." My voice shook, but my eyes

trying to hold two conflicting truths. "But... it's di

still

he perfumed air, unspoken

at the hotel, in the hallway. The flicker in his eyes-not love, n

the

to work t

for the do

" He swerved

oor final. I didn't look back. I stepped to the cur

?" the dr

ra Spire,

no home. There was o

ished doors, my reflection stared back-a woman with empty eyes

fell, the

chimed. The

ing to his assistant. He took o

woman in her fifties,

my cheek. I stared at the floo

to his assistant, his voice q

ence filled the space between us. I stared at the numbers,

ou alr

't cold. It wa

peak. I shook my head once

cheek. Something in his expression changed-a reminder of the hotel, the shared disaste

'HOLD DOOR' button. The hum stopped. We were

he shifted, putting himself between me

. He stared at the d

even years ago. There and gone. Like

ce low. He was giving me something solid to focus on. "He's w

ion. It was a rop

raw data shows a significant efficiency gain th

in the boardroom in twelve minutes. You'll

data analyst. Harrington w

s eyes held mine, and I saw no pi

st. The person who isn't afraid of th

stion: Will you let this de

udden, sharp focus. He hadn't patted my shoulder, but he'd g

y voice firming

The elevator hummed back to life. As the doors opene

nutes, Ms.

leaving me in

the brass no longer showed a crying wife, but a wo

into my bedroom, I had a purpose that