NO INTIMACY CLAUSE — PROTECTIVE ADDENDUM
I look up slowly. “This goes in a marriage contract?”
My voice comes out thin.
Noah, the ERS lawyer, clears his throat from his spot in the corner of the room, adjusting his glasses in a way that suggests he’s about to ruin my afternoon.
“This is not a traditional marriage,” he says calmly. “It’s a protective partnership with legal parameters. Given your circumstances, it would be irresponsible not to include it.”
I glance back down.
Bullet points. Subsections. Cold, tidy language.
No hugging, kissing, or hand-holding unless required for public presentation. No private displays of affection. No sexual contact.
My stomach does a slow, unpleasant roll.
There is something humbling about seeing your worst fears formatted so professionally.
“So,” I say carefully, “Is this a marriage or an emotional witness protection program?”
Sasha winces. Manny almost smiles.
“This isn’t a judgment on you,” Sasha says quietly, stepping forward. “Or him. It’s about keeping everything clean. If he touches you, it’s consensual and documented. If he doesn’t, no one can twist it. You stay safe. He stays protected.”
I read the clause again, slower this time.
The boundaries are stark. Clear. Almost aggressively respectful.
No assumptions. No blurred lines. No pressure for intimacy behind closed doors.
It feels lonely.
It also feels safe.
I hate that those two things are starting to feel interchangeable.
I trace the edge of the paper with my fingertip. The ink doesn’t smear. The words don’t soften.
This isn’t romance.
This is containment.
And for the first time since this whole nightmare began, I can see how it might work.
Noah slides another page across the table.
“This arrangement grants Camden full security clearance,” Noah explains. “Backstage wings. Hotel suites. Transit tunnels. Private floors.”
I glance at Manny, who gives me a slight nod.
I push back from the table and stand, pacing a few steps.
“He doesn’t even like me,” I murmur, mostly to myself.
“Good,” Sasha says immediately. “That means he won’t cross a line.”
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.
