Chapter 32: Twice

The page was handwritten in black ink, and Nathaniel's hand shook so much that two of the lines slanted.

I took it from him in the garden doorway, with Bridget breathing down my neck, and I read it from the top.

I did not skim, and I did not skip.

He stood in front of me and let me take my time.

*One. I will sit beside her. I will not sit at the end of any table.*

*Two. I will not sign anything with her name on it that she has not read.*

*I will not hide what I have already signed.*

*Three. She may leave any day, and the door will stay open behind her.*

*She will not need a reason.*

*Four. If either of us leaves the house at night, we call. If I am the one who goes, I come back.*

*Five. I watched her at a wedding five years ago, from across a road.*

*I will not watch her from across anything again.*

*Six. Whatever comes, I will tell her first.*

I got to the bottom and looked up.

"That's the last line?" I said.

"There's a blank for your name."

"There's no clause about the shares."

"I don't want a clause about the shares." His voice was rough.

"I want you to read this and decide if it's true. Sign if it is."

"You wrote it out by hand."

"I wrote it five times. The other four had mistakes."

Bridget made a sound behind me that was half a sob and half a snort.

"Give her a pen," she said thickly. "Give her a pen before I ruin my face."

He held out a pen, the plain one from his coat.

It was not the heavy pen he had used on my first night in his penthouse.

I took it.

"I've read every word," I said.

"I know."

"I'm going to sign it in front of everyone."

"That's what I'd like."

We walked out into the garden together.

There were rows of white folding chairs on the grass, and every one of them was full.

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