“Take care of yourself.” Bibiana glanced back once, eyes flat as glass. “And sleep at night, for God’s sake. People talk.”

“Don’t you ever wonder if he has… someone else?” Roman doesn’t have time for anyone else, she had said in her head.

“You’re quieter these days.” … “I’m not complaining. It means you’re content.”

Marta whispered to herself, “Poor girl doesn’t sleep because her life already dreams for her.”

“I’m not worried.” His smile deepened, reassuring and final. “I like knowing where you are, that’s all. It helps me focus.” He reached across the table, brushed his thumb along the edge of her wrist where the new bracelet caught the light. “Next time, tell me first. I’ll make sure the streets are quieter for you.”

Her grandmother’s voice rasped against her fresh-laundered pillows, “...you mind who you give your quiet to. Anyone can love your beautiful laughter, but the right one will love your silence too.”

“You see? I give you everything you ever wanted. I’ll put it all at your feet. You’ll never have to search. It’s all here.”

It would be the first time she played his hostess, and she started to crumble under the pressure from his very first, casual mention of it.

I’m not in the habit of saying yes to people who watch me more closely than I watch myself. But… maybe I’d like to be.

“Rich girl sadness is still sadness, babes.”