Ryan stood in front of me with his arms crossed and whispered, "You don't have to do this, Nicole." His voice was low but insistent as he spoke. "This marriage, this... contract," she said. No, it is not you. I am here to assist you.
As my anxiety began to buzz beneath my skin, I took a quick check around the parking lot.
There was a weight bearing down on my chest with each and every word that he said. Not only was there a sense of tension in his speech, but also in the way that his eyes were fixed on mine. The intense fear that someone could see us was the source of this fear.
that he was able to observe us.
As I took a few steps back, I hushed, "Ryan, please stop where you are." “I’ve told you already, this isn’t your problem.”
“Not my problem?” he shot back, his tone shar
