sed, camera-ready. Jace's assistant sent me mock questions. The PR team emailed "chemistry coaching" videos-clips of past power co

was, love wasn'

pright in bed, her voice no longer trembling when she spoke. Her first question had been about Jace. She wanted to know if he was ki

ed with another PR reminder about the color palette I was expected to wear for the intervi

or was

or a second, I stopped. Not because of the way he looked-though he was undeniably striking-but because of

the mirror and turned his

ust pa

u usually stay in you

now it was

ou avoid me like

yo

hen pro

, despit

began fastening the butt

om's stable today.

"What did

ou were

Like he was trying to figure out if

t have to

eed the truth.

once. "Tha

a moment longer

anything toni

mused. "You asking

e about to lie to the entire country, we should

isingly-"Alright. Join me for dinner. Bu

ea

ea. A private chef delivered grilled salmon, vegetables, and a bottle of red wi

ssed me a glass. "So what d

ublishing before the layoffs. Took a few ghostw

ike wr

y place I ever felt in control. Yo

lowly. "Mus

ant to be before your father mo

perfect. He just hates ad

ood at wh

. That's not t

able, just... quiet. Like the wind between waves.

him so much?" he

speak a

back, stripped the company, sold it for parts. My father was never the same. He lost e

dn't make excuses. He ju

ther," I added. "But you'r

But every time I tried to get out

u stay

n't, someone wor

'd had to make peace with his

r end?" I as

ha

prete

mes I wonder if I've done it so long,

r, we didn'

ed to write poems as a girl and burn them because I didn't think they were good enough. We were two people w

pour me another glass, and his fingers brushe

ushing out my hair. My cheeks were warm. My mind restless. I didn't know what to

t terri

lt, the more dangerou

rcled us like stylists preparing a fashion campaign. One woman touched up my makeup. Another coached us on eye contact and "natural affectio

exhau

eam packed up to leave, Jace turned to me

ha

The great love story. We could sell

harder. "Is that

ice dropped. "I want to win. I want to prove that we

at happens when we f

Then he smiled, slow and quie

balcony, watching the sky bleed into black. My fi

stayed, the more I wo

y crossed a line