"I'm really sorry, Joey," she said softly, part deflecting and also meaning it. "I know you and I haven't spoken since the funeral."
"I don't want to talk about that with you," Joey said curtly. The warmth that usually softened his voice was gone, replaced by a cool restraint that made Sylvia flinch despite herself. He was hurting and her apology had just rubbed at the wound.
"Okay," she said quietly, nodding in understanding. "I'll see you around." She offered him a small, brittle smile and turned.
Reese was waiting by the car, standing straight as always, one hand on the door handle and the other tucked neatly behind his back. "Where to, ma'am?" he asked.
"Anywhere," Sylvia murmured as she slid into the backseat. "Just drive." She pressed her fingers to her temples, her pulse pounding beneath her skin.
The city stretched before them as Reese pulled out of the parking lot. Sylvia leaned her head against the window, watching her reflection shimmer in the glass.
