rom the clinic door as

, "I just had an abor

a lead weight

perceptive to a shift in emotional curr

ttering to her own barely-there bump. "You must be exhausted from

ly tired from the public scandal, a s

ourse, had

ou're so understanding. A

brief, distracted smile t

onvenient trait he appreciated, not

the unspoken words a bi

all some good. There's that new little cafe that opened near the park. They have those

usea that had nothing

o go home and crawl int

the thought of arguing, of crea

test whim, agreed immediately. "Great ide

g, a ghost in thei

was brigh

ting some trivial social gossip,

clatter of cups and voic

throbbed with a du

ddenly gasped, pressin

ling, could you get me one of those f

s, his brow furrowed with concern.

counter, his focus enti

o easily

, Ethan's arm securely aro

ch of tires, then a lou

lipped a poorly secured decorative chandelier ha

structure swayed precari

ding right

and with a surprising burst of e

eways, out of t

piece of falling debris grazed he

d to the sidewalk wit

e was white

god, Izzy,

t Ava, who had been sta

his arms, her "injure

et you to a h

ed past Ava, his shou

ting the brick wall of the

through her skull,

er hand coming away from

oo

ace down the street with Izzy in his arms, h

't even

zziness wash

ad thr

mp, wincing as her fingers

a windswept beach: "I'll always protect

n her mind, a holl

from the invaders, fro

protected her

otecting Izzy, the

woman who'd orchestrated a fake injury, leaving the

y, Ava pushed he

tilted, th

low, agonizing walk to t

wave of pain, both p

even loo