n's

ould've ende

ll there - back in

e mask and the kind of mouth

f it was jus

ckless, alcohol

didn't fee

were a mess, the air heavy, and she was gone. No note. No goodbye. Nothing except a single cu

.

initials, I w

d, sitting on the edge of the bed like an idiot try

her. The way she said "no names"

f my sister hadn't decided to

la

that could cut through any hangover

yanking the sheet up over

arching one perfect eyebrow.

times nosier, and the only person ali

it jacket, the half-empty champagne bottle,

lowly, "someone ha

for my shirt. "It's n

om smells like sin, and there's lipstic

ffs - well, cuff. The oth

, dro

dn't. She

the minibar. "Please tell me you didn't sleep with one of t

uring whiskey ins

her tone turning glee

ea

her legs like a cat who'd just co

ttered before I

. "She told you

he saw it

es sparkling with disbelie

did

d. You

mpty space on the bed where she

just a little.

answer. Not one

her voice calm but her hands shaking, her kiss desper

eel like Alan Jean - son of a mogul, name

And she'd looked at m

ly. "Alan," she said slowly, "

er a loo

ble record with choices you ma

sn't

er. "Then what'

didn't

So what, now you're fa

," I muttered. "

rio

an't stop thin

e was a flicker of concern the

nks,

d to people who disappear o

er, smirking faintly. "You

Mom says therap

- the first one since sunrise. "

d sweetly, "you'd have burned

I have o

do. B

ching the light. "She didn't even look back, you kn

"Maybe that's

ay

y mind replayed the sound of her voice - sof

women. None of the

your mystery woman. But if Dad he

ea

, glancing at the lone cufflink still gl

otic

brow. "Planni

g to for

aid she didn't belie

n - the kind of quiet that forces you to

he cufflink f

nder my breath -

uld ke

er sh

down told me the st

hard I tried, every ti

The way her breath ca

n't know

I wouldn't need it