lle's

guessing myself. This could easily be Beatrice pulling a prank,

I was not here because I took my ann

uspicion for

even y

cha

radually... Like water trick

nd stopped asking how my night went.

ted from the

s voice at me, coming back home from the office while pretendin

arguments–I told him I wanted to go back t

rking afternoon shifts at the

his eyes never left me while he was there, and I'd often come over to see his cup at least stil

of character. I wrote my number on a tissue, pressed my lips

his coffee

p again. He was well-groomed and put together but anyone with a working pair of eyes cou

w up for a we

he entrance dinged. My heart was sleeping with hope, only for it

s beginning to accept that maybe I had ruin

dy for bed and also to put my

n I got his

u u

hanged the trajec

, it made endless shifts bearable, even the bruises I got from

g more intimatel

o be forty in

if that b

I wasn't like other reckless 18-year-olds. It made me feel good, like I was no longer t

g through some struggles he popped the que

back negative, he'd book me a vacation to unwind. If I had a headache he would leave his million-dollar company jus

disapproved of me she ne

were clearl

nted to

s he used to do in the past why was I suddenly no longer wel

eached room

n the carpe

something in her ear, and she laughed way too loudly, leaning towards him with a broad smile. When they got closer I n

sha

ra because she was friendly and bubbly. I didn't have any friends anymore be

hould hav

s going back to college. But from the looks of things

t 10 ft apart, that was when Natasha saw me, she didn't look ashamed. Not one bit, in

ould

t confusion clouding his ton

n my face, there he stood with an apology not even an explanation. Just aski

nk I marched over to him and sla

leave rushing into the empty elevat