Chapter 40

Behind the lectern, the first thing Micah did was smile and gaze out over the faceless crowd. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. And thank you for joining us here tonight.”

The tips of Micah’s fingers were numb and his palms were clammy. His hands almost refused to cooperate as he took his poetry out of his jacket pocket. He looked out across the crowd, his gaze landing on each face for a split second before moving on. He was barely registering details. He could have been staring at dozens of complete strangers, or dozens of good friends.

Micah glanced down, prepared to begin reading, but he caught movement in the corner of his eye. Distracted, he lifted his head, his attention drawn to the back corner…

…and the ginger-haired man who sat there. Jefferson was watching him with steady eyes. When he realized Micah had noticed him, he offered a small, encouraging smile. The sentiment behind the smile came through plainly. You can do this.

Time became meaningless.