She held his body as if she’d done this before. She was stronger than he would have thought her to be. Every step she took with him leaning against her was no different than her walking on her own. He hadn’t seen it before, but he could imagine everything she did was with grace. Her face didn’t show the grace or the perfection she had bottled inside her small body. The unfortunate reality was that drugs and life had worn away her beautiful features. Where her eyes would have shined, they’d been hollowed out by sleepless nights. The skin over her nose and cheeks were burdened by zits. But the lively blush shined through. Her skin glowed in ways Ryan wished his could.
His sadness was not for himself. It was for her.
She carried him down the dark streets. He felt like a swaddled baby.
T
