lling faintly of expensi

sofa, staring blank

you okay? Yo

y a balm, now gra

ld him about

e marriage

his monst

t

. I needed a

led, pulling away as

ed. "Rough day

ing lik

cern, his arm going

hed int

mforting, now felt

bout his day, a big

words "Ava project"

, he was a caricature o

t nothings, e

rformance, a ca

tly pressuring me a

murmur, nuzzling my neck. "My career is

ami

ht" into our

im and Bell

rough hi

erate to im

h he knew nothing abou

which he also knew nothing about,

gning consideration. "

buying

arrangement

disappear from his caref

physical deman

etite for me as passion,

s on me, his desire

cherishe

it for wh

hecking hi

s to a

s

a' s

was just

s made my

s, exhaustion, any

was per

x everything, A

hing for w

a dull ache in my bones, a f

the bathroom,

to the toilet b

just

oo

ainst the whi

seiz

mia was p

he door. "Ava? Yo

lushing the evidence. "

my face, trying to eras

I opened the door, his ex

, honey. Maybe you

risy was

thy enough to bre

s on the phone, his v

ith D

h B

the hallway

being a little difficult, but I' ll convince h

l

me that with such p

d my eyes, h

holder. A mea

h stab of pain, even

ith his wife while I stood feet a

room, the room where h

set, under a pile of o

ent

band scarf

to me during thos

saved" me fro

d said, his eyes sincere. "Uniq

symbol of his underst

mbered Bell

s hers. Disca

the naive sma

ke a brand

up, the fabr

ly of a perfume

la'

of our relationship, h

la had likely co

on the phone in

gh muffled, carried

not using anything, L

know. I' m

tone from Bella,

.. for the night, come home. To our home.

love. Just a

hun

ng around, getti

s head into

g bette

, unable

into the office fo

kiss, the ges

he wa

h

heir

ddenly felt vast

whispered o

d we s

where h

tain

ents, his "

ey ever

nd-in for the woman he cou

womb with a f

n was a fresh

there was

r taste of eig