Dear Love: The Spring I May Never See

her body burning with pain and humiliation. She chose to close her eyes tightly, hoping it would all

gan to slip into

r grandmother

r in her ear. Her damp eyelids fluttered, her

up if she tri

just a little, enough to catch a glimpse of Jake standing not far from her, speaking to someone on the phone. Her battered and w

This is a

they had never met, Ann knew the name well-the only person their late father h

s Jake's connection to Sherry? How did he know that name? Why was someon

ly locked onto Ann. Those golden brown eyes met Ann's black ones, filled with hatred. He walked

ift earlier." His tone was mocking, l

in the presence of this man. She would not show weakness

o pounce at any moment. He stepped closer, his index finger extended, lifting An

step back, keeping her distance from the man who had taken everythin

ld back his smile, though something churned inside him. He hated it-her gaze. For an ent

that made Jake want t

moke rising into the air. "Your existence is a joke compared to hers. She's a rare rose

he sky before eventually dying. There would be no need to return to this

fear. Fear of Jake's power, the man who could easily erase her from the world. No one would care. She was just a 24-yea

twinkling stars in the sky that seemed so far and unreachable. Fr

er face, with its empty expression,

into the air like a king on his throne. "Don't ever try to escape," his vo

ring at the stars. But in her heart, she felt the threat like a k

at but heavy, like someone too tired to

still refusing to look at him, only staring at the sky, so distant and free. His laug

answer. He tilted his head, his face full of satisfaction,

cause it

l

ossing her pale cheek, while her eyes blazed with anger. Her right pa

, her voice trembling but full of desperate courage. "If you

her body shaking with emotion. But her steps were stopped. A large hand pu

seemed t

er Jake's brown eyes. Her instincts took over-she crossed her

, you bastard!" s

man, drag him to a hell more painful than anything she had ever experienc

into the sharp corner of the bed. A loud thud followed by warm blood dripping from her forehead. Ann bit her lip,

voking me," Jake murmured,

Ann's hair, forcing her face up, m

on her scalp mixed with th

ething difficult to explain-anger. But most of all, ther

ith all the strength she had left, she bit Jake's hand as hard a

ased his grip and slammed Ann's body bac

rms were pulled behind her, while her legs were pressed do

rpe! Let

ght. This can't be happening. She had always believed Jake wasn't interested in touching her, that h

hed with all her strength, screaming un

e deepest part of her. Her scream turned into a pitiful cry. Her body t

oment, the sound of a bone breaking made it hard for her to

dripping from her forehead continued to flow,

Jake's disgusting grin. Her small hand r

d she had used to slap Jake's hand

oy, before I brea

ion blurred, her body no longer feeling the pain clearly-everything slowly turned into em

of the room. But his words no longer meant anything to Ann. The sou

t gently embraced her. Cold spread throughout her body, but s

ally

dden for so long. Ann knew, finally, she was free. No more Jake, no

d, loving face smiled softly at her, her wrinkled hands wi

he pain. It was a tear of goodbye-goodbye to a world that had never given

r, a large, familiar hand pushed her, sending her f

...