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"Freckles? That’s just ruthless, isn’t it?"

"Merciless No wohed s and read her obscure Welsh poets while I worked on a manuscript Once she fell asleep on my lap I used my red pen to connect all the freckles on her lower back She was livid We laughed for days about it"

"You had a good e What happened?"

Zach stared at Nora She sat two feet away from him but it seemed an ocean of truth and lies and lass She refilled it with a shaky hand Zach drank the whiskey and enjoyed the burn all the way down

"This is a terrible gaainst the chair

"I know a better one"

So in Nora’s voice sobered him up momentarily He opened his eyes and Nora now sat even closer to hi behind her back

Zach reached out and brushed her cheek with the back of his hand He raised his hand to her hair, pulled the ink pens out and watched the dark curls fall around her face

"How long has it been?" Nora asked, her voice soft and insinuating

"Thirteen months" He didn’t have to ask what Nora meant by her question He didn’t have to think before he answered it

"How long’s it been for Grace?"

Zach took a hard breath

"Less than thirteen months Friday…she emailed me Bill questions, addresses, all sorts of marital flotsam She casually mentioned some bloke named Ian"

Nora winced

"How casually?"