xt D

ed over a bad connection just outside the gat

ezed the phone until my knuckles were white. "

n't care when. If I don't hear from you i

ble attempt at humor that die

n it,

w. I'l

de enough to let me squeeze through. The driveway stretched out before me, lined by precisely trimmed shrubs

up the long driveway. Twenty-four hours ago, I had bolted from thi

ver seen before. The white shirts and perfect hair that had been Michael's shield since the day I met him w

ips sent a fresh wave of p

r into distance. The smell of the house-lemon p

." I kept my voice flat, ref

alk? I've been tr

tairs. "I'm uninterested in hea

rm. I flinched away

rd came out lik

"I'm sorry. I just... Aria, please. Wh

what we're calling it now?" I turned to face him fully. "

nched.

that. It only

lay our bedroom-no, his bedroom now. I'd need suitcases.

lease, let me explain. We've been trying for

dare lay the blame for thi

not. I'm trying to explain w

r the closet. "I was under the same pressure, Michael. I was the one taking hormones, tracking my cycl

e." He broke on the last

them down from the top shelf. G

ently in between the both of us. "

ds while sitting on the edge of th

d, pulling clothes from the hangers, tossin

hat can I do to m

onth on our anniversary. My mind filled with the memories of that night:

blouse dropped. "Some thin

ed. His eyes were red and swollen. He

tay?" he asked, probably

your bu

a, q

the suitcase. "Doesn't

okens of apology after missed dinners, working weekends, family events where his mother had humiliated me.

s I zipped up the second, smaller ba

know about this. No

as venomous. "Where is she, by the way? H

. I told her to leave right after you... after

s hollow as my heart

s. Five years of marriage and I could fit everything I owne

called after me at the bathroom d

embered the man I had fallen in love with. The man who walked with me through my father's funeral, who helped make

one. Or possibly

oved past him and dragged my bags to

physically hit him. "No. Aria,

rs, ringing marvelously through the high-ceilinged

ed behind him. I stopped; praying that it

hair perfectly coiffed, her expression a mask of cold calcu

se concern. "I thought I heard your vo

atening to spill from my lips. Fighting

ng," I said, stil

d for them. "L

away from him, almost losing my ba

yes. "Perhaps this little... incident... c

's sake? Your son was screwing my sister on his office desk,

ep to step. Michael tagged behind me, each of his st

se don't go

I found my wedding ring-three carats of diamond that had always felt to

epeated, stron

rage for my defiance; meanwhile, a pendulum of expressi

lowering his voice. "Aria, ple

nd. "Save it fo

e door. The effort it took was steep in resisting the urge to turn arou

alled after me, voice breaki

urned back again at the last moment, my

ister," I said, steady, in spite of the earthqua