my skin, a warm contrast to the

fiancé, sque

arah?" he asked, his v

steady and calm, ever

smile on my face.

o art show. Back

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on my phone, a

ir Embroiled i

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recognized artist, e

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w York

it, the

almost ready for my exhib

cket. My grandmother' s lock

smell of paint and new b

self, it pulled

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supposed to

, on my o

y felt heav

n, it lingered. A f

hed i

work

silience, about hid

ng proof o

I told

t a small, struggling coffee shop in Brookly

me place, but it

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r then too, but a

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alley behind t

huddle

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s wide with a fea

he' d whispered, whe

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an being, s

ith me,

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insane t

looked

e the n

t L

it fel

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allpaper, simple j

struction, his hands

ll gallery for me, a place

a quiet, st

s, "S.M.", tattoo

rmanent de

voice rough with emotion, his eyes shining w

r, struggling, but

shared vulnerability,

A face in a crowd

of someone he did

shed back into h

the kind cons

than Van

w York real e

ft was

ing cheap takeout on

e city lights spread out like a carpet of fallen stars

l him Ethan now – tried t

had walls, h

l was Victor

mo

yes that assessed and dismi

An unacceptable detour in her

with shouts, but with a chilling pol

ve he'd known as Leo and the crushing weigh

Leo flickere

ant, burdened by obligati

on. Daughter of a rival-tur

engagement. Essential fo

him. His family l

leeting moments when Leo' s eye

erbilt, the he

d me money. Two

r smile never reaching her eyes. "For

at' s what I

take it.

l clung to th

ring happened at the Van

gned for my

Victoria' s subtle, approv