The car stopped before the courthouse.
The flashes came first, sharp and blinding. Then came the voices, colliding in waves, and calling his name.
Amara's fingers curled around her clutch as if she could hide in its smooth edges. She stared out at the scene and her pulse stumbled.
"They're everywhere," she whispered.
Beside her, Travis adjusted his cufflinks, unbothered. The movement was deliberate. He had that kind of stillness that demanded the world to move around him, and never the other way.
He had suggested they come to the courthouse together, to solidify the story they wanted to show the world properly.
Them together at a marriage registry would be enough story with assumptions circling around for months.
"It's the Alden name," he said, calmly, his tone was once again that effortless blend of charm and distance he used in interviews. "It never arrives quietly."
She gave him a scofy look, rolling her eyes.
