y broke, Edric had al

unlight flickering through the glass window, tr

closed, trying to smother the fragments

ling breath,

o him, as though the slightest blink

had sought to chase him,

had almost forgotten that she ha

ed on h

red at it for a long while, then finally a

ter pill. I don't wa

he text for s

tered; his lips

message

ence inside the car, slic

slowly, eyes

d just done s

ther way to face the mis

e kept anything that could bind them together like a chi

he beginning, and he refused to make a

ould ensure she had everything she needed even aft

his past before it de

just one

sig

t the ticking clock could be he

coffee long gone cold between her hands,

her, stark and cruel, a cle

ter pill. I don't wa

it again.

rves the words dee

ulders

ently her heart was pounding, rage,

rmth returned l

s touch. His a

l been an

d the bitterness on her tongue, and bli

ected love. But last night, just one night,

abinet, and took out a

at the small white tablet resting o

in, looking at i

rough the blinds, glancing of

n a whisper only

I won't leave you

the pill with no h

at, she felt her stomach twist. A wave of

exhaustion. M

surged violently. It tore th

d. Sweat gathered

he sink, clutching th

floor, light and everyt

ack at her, ghostly white, lips drain

a stranger. A

ausea

g as they fell to the cold tile below. Her heartbeat

e reached for the fridge

ency, her voice

... I can't..

ttering against the floor. She reach

d, only light an

was another

ips. Tears burned her cheeks, mixin

mpse of sunlight falling through the window

ything we

ed from the

.

y room doors

s beeped, metal instrume

gen tube pressed to her nose, an IV dripping

contraceptives! Start gas

d cut through the a

ved fast, col

g of disinfectant, the rush of wate

es, but the world was bl

tears burned against her temples, hot and

mile, but her li

.. just a lit

sank back i

, only the sterile scent of medicine, and

ed her ey

ing was

te curtains. Even her hands lo

voice dr

mach's severely damaged. She'l

it, but did

ass of water on the nightstand,

s and no m

le curved A

no on

softly, dissolving

pulsed again, a dull rem

maybe it was the only thing that had

d when she tho

hose pills again ev

uldn't. Crying only exhaustio

hought, she would keep it. She would lov

he rain ha

through the window, soft and

eiling, a voice whispe

ere were no mistakes left for you. But this

osed h

ep... beep... that the fragile heartb

soaking into the pillow, leaving