EN'

ll rang in my ears long a

had been, the sting of her palm burned into my

serv

ement between us. Whatever little peace we had begun

stit

e until it hung loose, and exhaled lik

ong with me?" I mutt

was I

troy the good before

t. Not my jealousy or my silent treatmen

gave it a

it's wha

ndness fel

as something I

in the living room. Her door upstairs remained

oor and knock, apologiz

didn't

dn't even want it, but it just felt like somethi

of Dylan? Of

looked at her like she was

like that except me. I kn

that pierced my heart. All I could see

seen he

e I slammed the door between us a

part of me kn

feeling

ining room and into the hallway where the gard

like a

coward," I said to th

e me made me freeze. She was awak

crying. But I wouldn'

m earlier ech

day. Tonight was no d

hed her t

hrown her

and I didn't

myself standing outs

rlot

ans

oud enough for her to hear. "Not r

t sound or mo

round the knob, and I

ing, Charlo

ponse

pped

I said unde

walke

es from me alwa

back in the

whiskey warm

ook in her eyes wh

ust a

ief, and dis

rything, she didn't

e I didn

d I couldn't

me now. Maybe t

. Easier than her cari

oseness ma

ss made me

sed m

n't s

and walked

ew it on the floor, and

ight to left. I

head, and the sheets suddenly felt like suffocating

wouldn

closed my eye

nds over my face. The bed felt colder than ever

ng: money, pow

dn't hav

ure as hell didn

let the breeze hit me. The garden lights were still on. The same

shatter

d me wasn't the pain in my chee

gone after h

d out into the darkness, the weight of my o

et under my s

upposed to

part of th

eating to the

he longest

just sat