tried to kiss her, D

ough to make it

BBQ, too messy for a woman who always looked like a Vogue editorial, and yet she'd l

r world-steel walls, security codes

ucha

in. She st

getically. "I'm not some

as he replied, "I w

lways is,"

even more, she ke

meant to say aloud. Sometimes they'd meet for drinks and she'd wear something

iced how she looked away when t

questions, like conversation was a cou

w up. Never mentioned her mother

en like that. He wasn't i

-

let him into

bed. But in

their coats, a bottle of wine betwee

you," she s

yebrow. "Find anyt

ed. No family photos. No exes trying to shame you on I

you hoping to find?" He said as

suspi

ked. "O

seem too

the wine. "You're used t

hide them until the

s if he wanted to say

, once, what

her eyes.

at's unorigina

Really looked. Then

ull minute. Then: "You don'

I'm not trying

ied. "I didn't

eyes. "What did

es I have. I get into a lot of fights, you kno

he stood up, collected the

t ask him

he

-

she kissed

a dare. Her hands curled into his shirt like she was

y, deliberately. And the

t him, breath

u stopping?

re using this

er mouth-the

he wasn'

nd tucked a strand o

t long enough for you to realize I'm n

he

n, lips still tingling, and hated how mu

-

he told herself it

't belong i

gain. Reclaiming power. Stit

phone buzzed with his n

d really love for you to be there. Plea

the screen f

rep

e the a

tarted sometime

illuminating the room from time to time. The fireplace crackled in the cor

ut, tie loosened. They weren't talking.

all the things they hadn't said yet-words trapped behind fear, uncertainty and the h

h stayed. In

ained on the fireplace. "Do you ever feel l

d at her. "On

that was the ans

" she said softly, "who doesn't ask me w

ath. "I figured you'd te

ured. "I don't want to. I wa

ond. Then: "Tell me wh

flicked

hat. Not vulnerabili

asking to un

He convinced me that I was difficult to love. That I had to shrink to keep him. That I couldn't be everything he want

t hush her down. He just listened.

with me now and I'd neve

reply. In as much as she want

very day. Just one line. Sometimes it was 'The one with the everyday smiley face is pr

glanc

he last one

at worked as

ghost in someon

pounded

led slightly toward

said. "For

re. Or why. Or who

ght wasn't a

e kind that couldn't

-

fe with him. It wasn't Daphne, the Ice Queen that sat beside Rodney. It was Daphne whose m

r, forehead resting on her

at we're doing,"

t answer for

think we're try

mall, real. "

s ho

im, brushing her fin

k about pain," she said.

nt to fix y

y n

you're no

he first time she believed it. Not because he said

me. Like shelter. The kind of kiss that didn't ask for anything but p

-

the rain easing into a hush. Her cheek o

the silen

hink love

t answer

it's real. I just don'

u want

him. "I want to b

d brushing her hair back. "The

osed h

se she be

-for once-s

-

f place where you had to know someone just to get a table. Daphne had discovered it back when she was married

y lov

g her about her playlist. He made things feel easy, like she hadn

if she was wearing her glow a little too obviously. They were seated

owned it-not in that loud, Spencer way, but

aid, swirling his drink, "but I already forgi

of the few good things I g

ow. "Your ex h

t I had to find things that ma

his glass to her

one time Rodney got stuck in a Algerian airport for twelve ho

sy-until

ersation

," he asked casually, "Belle an

eave. I followed my heart instead of my

in. "Heart a

s too smooth. Too easy. Like i

e bli

ntext before. She hadn't even mentioned h

his name," she

"You've menti

t think

be I looked him up. Curiosity. You'r

omach

learly know a lot about law. Your takes on case law

can I say? I have a

s verbatim. Last week you cited an o

abbled. Pre-law, once. Didn't li

something most pre-law students get into. That ruling you q

y and unbothered. "May

lub. The way he'd known what to do, what to say. The way he never asked the kinds of questions

t well-read," s

ck. Smiled. "You

ut I think you're

n't de

ed across the tab

e said. "But not the

e comforted h

. "If I find out you're connect

his father. Or anyone in that world. If

waiting for t

s expression shifted. Something

your suspicion quota for the night," he said. "E

racted. As she picked up her fo

re was some

emembered Spencer once mentioning a cousin who went off the radar. Some

t cared a

t

sn't s

-

o her penthouse and kissed her go

iskey, sat by the windo

ty

ll – family

hovered o

she s

d the

't ready

, she would

ht he might be? Because sometimes, even the Ice