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Muriella snickered. Where I’d found the strength to joke at a time like this, I wasn’t sure. But there wasn’t time to fall apart, even though I felt like all that was keeping me from going over the ledge was my fingernails. The breakdown was imminent, but I couldn’t let that happen until I had exhausted all efforts to get Daniel back.
“I have no idea,” M said, taking my fingers in hers and squeezing.
“Then looks like I’ll be wearing something of Daniel’s,” I said, preparing to stand. “Let’s get off this floor. My ass is numb.”
We rose, but Muriella grasped both of my biceps, her expression worried. “Vivian—” she started, but I shook my head.
“Not now, M.” She was here for me. That was what I needed. I wasn’t ready to talk.
“We’ll eat. I’ve got roast chicken in the warming drawer downstairs.”
She was already tugging me to the front door so we could go to her apartment on the floor below. I followed for a second before planting my feet. “Come with me to change.”
We reversed course, going to my bedroom. Once we were in the closet that only this morning I’d shared with Daniel, it was like a punch in the nose seeing all his things there while mine were gone.
“I don’t think I can do this,” I whispered, closing my eyes. It smelled like him. The pain that tightened my chest was almost more than I could bear.
“Vivian, you are the most determined person I have ever known. Far more than Daniel, and that’s saying something. I can’t explain why difficult things happen, and I only have my experience to draw upon, but there is light after the darkness. God will never give you more than you are capable of handling. We will get through this,” she promised, and though I knew she was right, I had my doubts. Muriella had an unwavering faith. Mine wasn’t as strong, not by a long shot. I was more of awhy in the hell is God doing this to mekind of person. She saw things as part of a bigger picture.
I leaned my forehead against hers. “Keep telling me he’ll come back.”
“I never said that, V,” she said softly, her voice pained. “Only that we would get through this together.”
I gave her a wry smile. “I’d be perfectly okay with you bullshitting me right now to make me feel better.”
“No, you wouldn’t.”
“You’re right,” I conceded, appreciating the honesty between us. We didn’t keep secrets, and we didn’t tell lies. “Let’s go eat.”
She brightened at that. “Aren’t you going to change?”
“Yeah. I got a little shell-shocked coming in here.” I shook it off, drawing on the strength of my best friend.
I quickly changed into a pair of Daniel’s old sweatpants and a T-shirt. It was some comfort having on his clothes, more significant than I expected.
I slung my arm around M’s shoulders and guided her out to the bedroom. “Will you stay with me tonight?”
She frowned and shot me a look of irritation. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t even ask me that.”
Chapter Six
Vivian
Eight Years Earlier
“Three days isall you could wait to see me again?” I feigned confidence to hide my surprise at the sight of the angel warrior in the lobby of Hamerstein and Associates.What in the dickens is he doing here?
And why the hell did he look like he just walked off a runway? Hands shoved in his pockets. A suit that hung on his broad frame like it was made for him. Dark hair mussed by the wind.
But those eyes…shrewd, yet pleasure evident in them as I approached. My heart stuttered, but my strides were fluid instead of betraying the slight tremor in my legs.
“We weren’t properly introduced,” he said as he closed the distance between us.
“Ever consider there’s a reason for that?”
He grinned, and I looked down at my clothes to make sure they hadn’t evaporated on the spot. Lord knew I felt like ripping them off.
“You don’t strike me as a runner.”
