TREAT ME RIGHT

leaving her would

em into the darkness as if practice would make them hurt less. He imagined her face falling, the

been

her was nothing

cheate

Cli

est f

Not just a mistake. It was a deliberate choice - made behind his back,

ld didn

olla

that his knuckles turned white. The screen glowed in the dim room, illumin

reen felt like a blad

ispered, his voice barely

his chest until breathing felt like inhaling

ame th

ie

ep

dange

him out from the inside, leaving nothing

in

ll p

t conversations, shared dreams, inside jokes. He remembered defending Clinton in ar

the snake into

rembling hand against his heart. His body reacted before hi

chant the same word: Bet

ht he kn

loyalty mea

hifted beneath him, and he

es lit up like he was the only person in the world. The way she whispered

emories fel

sted, sharp

ess. The sheets felt cold beneath him, unfamiliar - like the room

ted to

nted

h something until

did non

eiling, feeling as though the universe

uttered into the empty room

vibrated i

as if it had

er me

f? More humiliation? Another reminder that whil

ty. Part of him wanted to throw the phone across the roo

e cou

e tapped

ge wasn't

't from

rom some

who ha

maller. The walls seemed

t just b

d watched

remembered opening it. Ben had walked in without needing to

im, elbows resting on his

n the middl

spoke. The silence wasn't awkward

n doesn't nee

Ben exhal

she's not

laugh. It didn't even s

ted bitterly. "I was pla

ened, but he for

was it. I thoug

er. "You were real. T

hit harder t

looked

lue you," Ben continued quietly. "This doesn't de

ted to be

e want

ke a language he n

signs he had missed. Was there a hesitation in her v

er looked at h

the ticking clock on the wall. Eac

n't explode a

lin

bur

et spaces of your heart

through his hair,

o to trust anymo

tened. "Trust y

hung bet

t hi

were moments when something felt slightly off, but

ver ca

was the

beneath the humiliation and a

ho

t

eng

eak. But

still

brea

stan

his trust - no

his hand. His reflection stared back at him in the dar

as not d

omple

e," he said quietly, mor

nce. "That's

deeply, stea

how long it would take before the memories stopped cutting

knew on

erved

ne buzz

t just startle him - it se

ed at th

wn nu

lse qu

shift immediat

wallowe

n't k

ge previe

's the whole stor

n the roo

und, not just with pain -

e

it anti

overed over

, this wasn't ju

just about

ut somethi

hing

he realized the worst night of hi