t followed w

the kind of way that makes you

lingered between us in every glance, in every barely-there pause when our

semi-stable adult woman would do: I buried myself in work, ign

y to Phantom'

nted

der if he was Phantom. An

subway, flipping through half-written articles at 1 a.m. My instinct had always been

g, watching me pick apart a croissant at our favorite w

"I'm not

ute, but also ki

eyes, but

"Did you and Darren

said, to

s brow rose

st...

lieve me for a second. "Talking with Darr

at her.

things. Even when you're tryi

ittle too cl

buzzed. She glanced at the screen a

ng okay?"

too quickly. "J

s already redirecting the conversation, asking

ir

**

aced the growing mountain of unanswered emails. I was halfway th

bj

uling with

art f

hadn't forgotte

ad heard about my past articles and was still "interested in a

ce, then thre

't have me

it

ifeline. A s

trange feeling crept in. Like something i

y laptop

summoned by the mood,

an

the edge of

old fear make

staring at

he alw

d they feel like some