AMELIA had not slept well. Anyone who knew her well enough could see it— not in dark circles or disheveled hair, because she had taken care of both before leaving the house, but in the stiffness of her movement and the plastic smile she wore. It was like she was holding herself back from a lot of things.
She was already in her office when Ryan arrived. He found her staring at her laptop screen with her coffee going cold beside her hand.
"You came in early," he said, closing the door behind him.
"I needed something to do," she replied without looking up.
He sat across from her and studied her for a moment.
"How was Saturday? Your brother came with his girlfriend, right?"
Amelia looked up slowly. She held his gaze for a second, then let out a short breath that wasn't quite a laugh.
