Chapter 12

The countdown is almost over.

Two days

Fall is here. The air is crisper now, with a freshness that wasn’t there before. The sky is weighed down by thick clouds, and drizzle begins to form fog on the streets, making the sidewalks slippery.

I wrap my shirt tighter around me, the thin fabric doing nothing to keep out the cold. I slip on my slippers and walk downstairs slowly, carefully, as if delaying my final routine here.

And then-

A black umbrella tilts toward me, shielding me from the rain before I can even notice the drops hitting my skin.

“Always walk in the rain.” comes a low, familiar voice. “Aren’t you afraid of catching a cold?”

I pause.

He holds the umbrella handle tightly–too tight. The tendons in his fingers stand out, and his knuckles pale from the

pressure.

Pax Brown.

No more pretending.

No more wearing faded hoodies or worn sneakers. No more carefully crafting an image of a struggling man. He stood before me now, radiating the quiet, gaily–bred wealth that had always been second nature to him.

But his face–his expression-

That hadn’t changed.

He smiled.

As if nothing had happened.

standing before someone he’d been deceiving

the midst of a slow, inevitable collapse.

as if

set, the casual mask slipping in an instant.

I almost laughed.

Chapter 12

always decide the rules of

much

just a few days ago, stood in that hospital room, looking at me with cold, distant eyes,

walk out that

And yet

He’s here.

I’m sorry. Let

I didn’t answer.

explain.”

– it was a return

it could be redeemed, as if he thought the right words could reshape the

families have always been close–it would have been inappropriate not to give her gifts.

I didn’t move.

exhaled and pressed his fingers to his temple. His expression was a careful combination of guilt and sincerity, so close to believability that he might have succeeded if I

this time, I’ve been playing

and arrogant. They expect me

was with you, I

stared at

split in two. I didn’t

His hands clenched into

of me

All

explained everything.

was warm,

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