But my throat tightened instead.
He shifted, propping himself up on one elbow, his hand sliding up my side until it rested just under my ribs. His thumb brushed absent circles into my skin, absent but grounding.
“I mean it, Ava.”
“I know.”I love you.
And I did.
I did the obviously mature thing and changed the topic. “Can I see you again tonight?”
Harlan eased over me and braced on his forearms. He kissed my forehead, my nose, and then my mouth. His beard scraped lightly against my skin, the way I’d already started to crave.
He pulled away just an inch and said, “I work tonight, but I have right now.”
And then he let his weight settle over me, and I fell deeper in love with Harlan Grey.
The next morning, the frost had gone thin and glassy on the sidewalks. Christmas trees leaned defeated at curbs, tinsel bright against brown grass. I walked toward the courthouse with a manila envelope tucked under my arm.
That’s when I saw her.
Erin Voss.
Coming out of…Harlan’sbuilding.
Hair damp.
Wearing the same clothes she wore yesterday.
Keys in one hand. Phone in the other.
Not looking around. Not rushing. Just… leaving.
She didn’t see me.
But I saw her.
Something in me stuttered, and the cold air cut cleaner. I told myself it was nothing. Coincidence. Work. An explanation I’d accept if I wanted to stay soft.
I kept walking. One foot, then the other. Past a trash can overflowing with spent sparklers. Past a kid trying to skateboard on a patch of ice like it was summer. Past the part of myself that always, always prepared for the worst.
I didn’t turn around.
But a little thorn lodged itself behind my ribs and stayed there.
Just slightly.
Just enough.
And when my phone buzzed with a text from Remi:
Remi
Don’t wait up. Long night. I'm Fine. Will explain later.
I stared at the three lies in a row and thought about how easy it is to lose the thread when your hands are already full.
Because the year had started beautifully, but on January 2, the day the world got a little sharper at the edges.
