erly

or, each step echoing like a hammer inside her skull. Her lungs b

and pleading but it no longer sounded like the man she lov

her inside the mirrored walls. The woman staring back looked like a strange

lection, voice trembling

ling like a lifetime. By the time the doors o

old light across the marble floor. People laughed softly, s

, however, had a

revolving doors and s

. It couldn't. She was burning inside, every heart

and unrestrained, echoi

to the night. "Why wo

e scraped her throat like glass. Her hands trembled as she clutc

s lips forming words she could no longer hear. No, it's not

sed me f

he streetlights blur

whispered again, th

nt but none of it reached her. It all blurred into meaningless color. She

he glare of

ose. T

g light. Her mind screamed for h

tires tore th

hen-i

e that ripped the air from her lungs. Shards scattered across the pavement, glittering

f black and gold and thought of Alexander's eyes,

rything

aillights shrinking into not

nt except for the fa

other vehicle scr

sight before him. He pulled out his phone and dialed 911,s

ds against her wounds, trying to stop the bleeding.

Please... don

ken sound escaping. She tried to form words, but none came. Her h

t, then growing louder. But her world was fa

-

egged on her bed, a glass of wi

lls. She leaned back against the bed, the corners of her li

face when she opened that door. The shock, the d

almost dreamily, "Now she

the mirror. She swirled the wine slowly, humming under her bre

mile

ruth refused

had resi

ms trembled as he pushed her away. His voice, weak a

mory bu

er knuckles whitened. "He still wanted her," s

ed back, mocking he

?" she b

palms until tiny cres

ly in her hand, tremblin

art-yes. But victory tasted

envy deepened into something darke