First

day trying to forget t

sky edge in his voice when

walking straight into the

ple-check or how long I linger in the cop

i

le. I tell myself it's just the tension of the sec

down, I k

ot jus

he twisted hist

m. Dami

e wors

smelling like expensive sin and looking like temptati

p.m. when I lea

lobby is mostly empty now, the clack of my heels echoing ag

e ni

me, smooth and familiar. My

cket, sleeves rolled up ag

up. "Could say

tly. "I practic

an t

d the doors.

eel like a command, either. It feels

me wants to know

what it would feel like if I stop

at him from the corner of my eye-broad shoulders, powerful stride, th

ays suddenly, like he's c

lking. "E

ork. Your file says you're twenty-two, double major.

oat ti

y of saying I do

y way of saying I don'

gh. "That mak

or a moment. "W

've read my fil

something in your eyes. Something angry. Something... hu

d

mother he

dhood without sil

us the

just square my should

to fight for

want?" His words a

't an

he truth.

Not touching-but

"I told myself I was imagining it. The

ath ca

h. And I haven't been able to

ng

fl

in my

hy are you standing there lik

just took the ai

steps

ouche

not a

sweeping, dr

gers barely grazing my cheek. His eyes locked on mine

move. I s

ing off the edge of a building a

blares in the distance. A car screech

s just remembered where we are.

aw ti

happen," he

hen stop acting li

n. Like he wants to argue.

n he tu

. "Before I forget why

t-leaving me breathless, burning, and on the ve

Night – M

edroom staring at

-st

archives. But I did. And now it s

idn't abandon him. That she was

ed K.W. orchest

ack of the file

ed before-a letter. Unsent. Hand

ai

I found out too late. I never s

dged. Water-dam

thing

dn't

dn't

be ruthless. Arro

idn't ab

s cut

w

h

ear, now feels like a

wo

'm fallin