I Handed My Jacket to a Woman in the Cold, and Two Weeks Later a Velvet Box Turned My World Upside Down

and suddenly sick with what had just happened.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly.

“It’s not your fault,” I managed, though my throat burned as if I’d swallowed smoke. “I guess I should’ve known better.”

She tilted her head slightly, watching me.

“No,” she said. “You knew exactly what you were doing.”

The words landed like something heavier than comfort. Like continue reading …