Page 58 of Memories of the Lost

“Permission is not technically required, though, is it?” Liam asked.

She turned, surprised. “Not for something like this, actually. Art is considered free speech, so as long as I’m not using your image to sell something, it’s fair use. And because you’re a public figure, the rules are even more lax.”

“But you’d be selling the painting,” Krish said.

“I mean, yes. But it wouldn’t be considered commercial.” She shook her head. “Never mind. I don’t want to cause you trouble.”

“Thank you,” Krish said. “The optics would be terrible.”

She shrugged her agreement. “I hear you.”

“I’m going to get out of here, then.” He shook her hand. “Good to meet you.” He pointed at Liam. “See you tomorrow morning, bright and early, yeah?”

His face was stony. “Yeah.”

“Last one.”

“Here,” Liam returned.

Krish let himself out.

Tillie scowled. “That was really weird.”

“Sorry. I thought it would help if he met you.”

“Help what?”

“Get the release signed,” he said, but his gaze shifted away, and she sensed that wasn’t the whole story.

“It’s all right.” Her phone buzzed somewhere across the room, and she realized she hadn’t checked it since she got home. She moved to pick it up from the nightstand. The new notice was a message from Jon, and a long line of other notices scrolled down the screen. She should deal with them, but it felt exhausting.

“Have you eaten?” she asked. “I’m starving, but I don’t want to go out.”

“Takeout?”

“Or I could order some groceries, and we could cook. Nothing fancy, maybe just some omelets and toast?”

His expression lightened. “That’s sounds amazing. Red onions, maybe. And avocado?”

She nodded in happiness. “And some crazy seedy bread.”

“Sun-dried tomatoes.”

She opened the grocery delivery app on her phone and started adding items. The vegetables and eggs and bread. “Anything else?”

“Hot chocolate and milk.”

She laughed, adding them. “Done.” She ordered and set the phone down without opening the messages or email or any of the other things tugging at her attention. Instead, she crossed the space between them, lifted her arms around his neck as if they’d been together a hundred years. “Hi.”

He exhaled and rested his forehead against hers, his hands on her waist. All at once, the world outside fell away, and she was standing in a circle that felt like home.Him, her, this.She couldn’t possibly speak that aloud, so she simply rested there, forgetting everything but right here. Now.

Her phone buzzed again, and she reluctantly pulled it out of her pocket. Jon again. “Sorry, I need to look at this. I’ve been out of touch for a few hours.”

“Go ahead. I’m going to wash my hands.”

“Oh, look,” she said with a smile. “Three voice mails from Liam.”

“Told you I tried.” He grinned and disappeared into the bathroom.