The Bound Between Us

Chapter 912

Anastasia sat on the hardwood floor, hugging her knees, as time slipped by in slow, silent drops.

Her legs were numb, but the weight in her chest had finally started to ease. The storm inside her was quieting, little by little.

Suddenly, a flash of light flickered across the window. Fireworks?

Who on earth sets off fireworks this late?

Curiosity pulled her to her feet. She crept over to the window and peeked out- then nearly doubled over with laughter.

There, in the backyard, was Herman, waddling around in a fat, puffy orange mascot suit. He looked like a giant tangerine come to life, straight out of a cartoon. In each hand, he clutched a sparkler, waving them around and sending showers of sparks into the night.

He glanced up, caught her watching, and lit up with the goofiest, brightest grin.

As the last sparkler fizzled out, Herman-still in his absurd orange getup-broke into a dance. Not just any dance, either: this was full-on preschooler mode. He made heart shapes with his arms, spun in wobbly circles, kicked his feet, flapped his arms, and wiggled his behind.

Anastasia had never seen this side of him. She felt her throat close up, her eyes sting. This was all for her-just to make her smile.

Then, out of nowhere, Herman tripped and toppled over. Anastasia's heart jumped, but before she could even call out, he'd tucked his arms and legs inside the suit, turning himself into a perfect, oversized orange. And then—he started rolling around the grass.

She let out a snort, then burst into helpless laughter, tears streaming down her face.

Herman came to a stop, sprawled on the lawn with his limbs sticking out. If she squinted, he looked more like a turtle than the CEO of a tech company.

a series of silly, cutesy poses, flapping his arms

would be out here in the middle of the

Herman saw her laughing, it was all worth

back into the costume and went completely still. From Anastasia's window, it looked like a giant

but he didn't move. Curiosity won out. She hurried downstairs and out the door,

the squishy surface. “Hey, you

rolled in a circle around her. Then, like a magician, Herman's head popped out of the top, a flower between his teeth. He wiggled his eyebrows,

of his head, and the flower disappeared. Then he puffed out his cheeks and,

at a jelly bean, grinning. "Seriously, Herman? Since when do you do magic tricks? How'd you pull that

a

set off fireworks, danced around in a giant orange suit, and conjured up candy-all just to lift her

hadn't laughed like this since... well, since everything changed. This was the first time she'd genuinely smiled, deep

for a moment, the pain faded. All that was

wriggled out of the costume

looking more like a giant teddy bear than a high-powered

and full of mischief. "This is my secret weapon. Can't let it out of the bag for just anyone. From now o Pon, it's only

her heart melt, bit by

laugh. "Okay, pulling a flower out of thin

but how'd you do

beans? Did you