ut of her. For a second, everything disappeared. Sound,

ist. Her pulse thundered in her ears, wild and frantic. The hedge scratched her arm, and cold stone pressed throug

orgot the funeral. Forgot the people. Forgot pretty mu

palm into hi

ered bac

air, looked up, t

da

just as shocked, and let go

anting. "You ne

dpan. "Which is more than I can

shoulder, toward the chape

were t

u," he said, quieter now

ed at how her fingers still

hen he was all sharp edges again, scanning her

owned.

u should

s dram

t's

joked, exaggerated, and made everything into a scene, but this wasn't the

d at him,"

ed. "I gave my

him," he said

went tigh

you," he said.

eath. "You're reading

ed his he

y, she didn't know. And that bugge

shifted

presence. It ran down her spine, s

e straightened, eye

se t

oor was walkin

every step easy, shoulders loose, face composed but not blank. Someho

t away. His eyes wen

ou alr

dy. Not loud, not

weighing her answer. Then he looked at Adam. N

, quickly.

at her, and neither

. It felt like a held breath, waiting for

his throat. "

. But Eloise felt the moment shift. A thin, deli

"We were j

ed his head.

Cold air brushed her cheeks. She tol

ually settle deep in

because she couldn't stand being alone with his voice echoing through her

rant where nobody asked questions if you sat alone with a

ped. She managed a

ing in the

t a sound. Jus

gets before rain. Full of something

stood a few steps away. He didn't say a word, didn't try to draw attention

e hated that he could

second on the faint red mark at her wrist. Something flashed in his eyes. Not ang

e said. Not rea

owed. "So

d, quiet

e, comfortable in the space, as if the place

"I didn't expect to see you

round the room. "T

bragging, no explana

ed. "You own

es

n near him, another straightened up without knowing why. No o

lse sp

on your businesses

t out of my

ip on the glass. "Is

eyes, ste

etween them, a

not awkward, just thick wit

you was an accident, El

ghtening, like someone was

Most people listen

ck, turned, a

st stared at the sp

tomach. But that wasn't

somethi

cipa